Rise of Harmonia
by DreamingZombies
Summary: A novelization of BW with pairings. Twins Touko and Touya, along with their friends Cheren and Belle, start their Pokemon journey, but the exploits of Team Plasma interfere with their travels. The teens get more than they bargained for and discover dark sides they never realized they had. As tensions escalate and Unova is thrown into chaos, a prophecy is decided.
1. Prologue : The Birth of Legends

**A/N: **_**Ok, the hiatus is over! I'm going to really try and dedicate myself to finishing this story now. It went through a slight overhaul where I patched up some holes, changed a few things. Please reread the whole story if you can! It has a couple of new and important things, especially in this prologue!**_

**Please review! I'd really appreciate it! **

**This is essentially a novelization of the Black and White games, with my own twists and turns tossed in. This chapter is one such twist. **

**When I finished playing Pokemon Black, I felt pretty inspired. Since I didn't have time to draw a manga(or one of those cute Nuzlocke comics) of the whole story, I decided to just write a fanfiction. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of the characters in this story. Except maybe Touko and Touya's father. I don't believe we ever meet him in the game.**

**~Alexie**

* * *

_Prologue: The Birth of Legends_

* * *

_September 18, 1992_

A calm night settled over the sleeping region of Unova as the day's sun fell behind the mountains in the horizon. The amusement park in Nimbasa had finally closed for the night, the museum curator at Nacrene was doing final check-ups before locking up for the night, and even the bustling streets of Castelia were dying down to late night stragglers.

However, in the far, north reaches of Unova, the occupants of a grand castle were preparing themselves for a very important night. For many days and months they toiled, ensuring that everything would be perfect in anticipation of the rare opportunity this momentous night would present.

No one was more impatient or excited than one man, who was currently strolling down the newly built marble hall of his castle. Given, the construction on the castle was still ongoing. Many of the rooms of the upper wing were still unfinished. Ghetsis Harmonia's purposeful stride was not as glorious as he would have liked, with scaffolding and sawdust scattered everywhere, but he knew in due time the magnificent castle would be done and he could strut down the halls with regal dignity.

Team Plasma was still a young organization, but it was growing exponentially in power and influence, and he knew someday it will sprout into a grand and looming power with him as its king. His face twisted into a smug smirk at this thought. He flicked his tongue across his sharp canines and grinned, green hair billowing out and golden robes flowing behind him.

He finally reached his destination and walked through the giant golden arches leading into the only open-top room within the entire castle. There, six older men convened in a circle, all garbed in stately robes. They surrounded a sleeping pink and lavender creature that was hovering in place. A curious pink, lucid mist emitted from its head. Twitches of its eyes gave the impression that its rest was anything but peaceful.

At Ghetsis's entrance, all six of the men bowed their heads in respect. Ghetsis strode over to the group and was greeted by a white-bearded sage whose sunken eyes lit up ever so slightly. "Good evening, Master Ghetsis. Thank you for coming."

Ghetsis nodded back in acknowledgement. "Thank you Rood, but such formalities are not needed amongst us Seven Sages, hm?" He smiled at the elderly man, who bowed his head and kept his fearful gaze trained on his tawny robes. The other sages kept silent, knowing Ghetsis meant anything but the statement he had made. It was just his way of reminding them how much power he held.

Clearing his throat, Harmonia continued, "Is everything ready?" Grand expectations glittered wickedly in his red eyes as they scanned over the creature.

One of the men, stoic in expression, cleared his throat. Although he was the oldest, his voice came strong and clear, showing absolute confidence in the words he spoke. "The stars have aligned. It seems Musharna is in the right state to receive the Dream Mist." He gestured to the floating creature, the sleeve of his ashen garment flicking out.

Ghetsis grinned again, fangs glinting in the moonlight. His eyes greedily appraised the creature hovering in the center of the group. A man in royal purple robes, with thick white eyebrows, explained in a commanding voice, "It is as Bronius said. We will not have another chance like this for many more years after tonight. It is not every day we can get Musharna to extract the dreams that had been sealed away."

"Yes, Giallo, I am very well aware of that fact." Ghetsis drawled dismissively and the old sage fell silent.

Another man piped up energetically, eager to please Ghetsis. "We must begin the ritual soon, your majesty. We are prepared to start anytime. Gorm?" His snakey smile was evident through his thick gray beard as he directed his attention to the man at his right.

The man in question pulled a miniscule bottle of swirling pink gas out of his gray robes. It emitted a soft pink glow that reflected off of his bald head and he murmured in a smooth voice, "I have the Dream Mist right here, Ryoku." It had taken the effort of seven Psychic Pokemon and many months to extract enough mist from its source. Gorm gingerly handed the Dream Mist off to the last man, the youngest of them all, a gray-haired man dressed in plum attire. "You may start, Zinzolin," he said.

Zinzolin did not say a word as he took the bottle and stepped up to Musharna. The creature was twitching incessantly as Zinzolin uncorked the bottle and allowed the pink substance to snake out slowly. He slowly circled the creature, allowing the mist to swirl around it. Musharna stilled and slowly opened its eyes, blinking at the sight of the six men.

Then it panicked. Musharna unleashed a high pitched yelp and suddenly glowed in technicolor, no doubt revving up an attack. The six sages stepped back, not at all surprised, and Ghetsis stepped forward. He pulled out a Dusk Ball from his robes and released the Cofagrigus that was residing within. A softly spoken command to the Ghost Pokemon prompted it to unleash a Psychic on the floundering pink creature. The attack stopped the Musharna's own. The creature's red eyes shook in terror and pain as the Psychic attack ceased. Musharna physically slumped, the Dream Mist still swirling around it, waiting to be accepted.

Ghetsis smirked and took a step forward, addressing the suffering creature in front of him."Musharna, Eater of Dreams, you will do well to stop your futile resistance. Recognize this mist? That's right." He sneered. "It belonged to the foolish old prophet who you called 'Master'. Tell us who the heroes of legend will be reborn as and no further harm will come to you," he said in a soft, dangerous voice.

Poor Musharna had no clue what was happening or even what the man was saying. This was definitely not the prison it had been trapped in for months, but it was by surrounded by seven familiar men who were emitting terrifying auras. The man before her spoke with a tongue so violent and vulgar that it stressed out the Drowsing Pokemon. When it backed away in response, whimpering, Ghetsis's temper flared up and he waved his arm, signaling another painful Psychic attack.

"Stupid creature!" he snarled at the Musharna that was trying hard not to cry in pain. "You don't seem to understand your situation. I've been waiting too long to see the vision of that prophet friend of yours. Even while he was tortured, beaten and dying, he refused to tell us what he had seen. But he was a curious man indeed." Ghetsis scowled. "To have been able to control his thought flow to the point that he was able to lock up his prophecy within a mere dream! He tried so hard to keep you from us until his miserable death."

Ghetsis clenched his hand. "We knew he had a son, but the boy escaped before we could get our hands on him. Our psychics never got a lock on the child, so we thought we had lost our only chance of getting that prophecy. It seemed as if he had sealed his dreams with his death, so imagine our surprise when we found out you had traces of it. But you worthless pig." The man continued to watch Musharna twitch in pain. "You could not even show it clearly. Nothing but blurred colors. But tonight, we will finally clearly see the dream, the fortune that is my glorious future!"

Musharna finally lost in endurance and yelped out. At that moment, the Dream Mist entered its mouth and its eyes began to glow. Images started to form in the pink mist streaming from Musharna's head, which was pouring out in mass now. Ghetsis's angry expression turned into one of awe and excitement. The sages all took an eager step forward as well, not wanting to miss a second of the vision.

Multiple images flashed through the mist, none focusing clearly enough for the audience to see. Ghetsis suddenly felt nervous that this plan would fail as well. Just as he was losing hope, the vision slowly began to clear up. The images of a Pokemon as dark as coal and another as white as snow came into focus. As it became clearer, there were two other distinct figures showing.

A green-haired man stood at the side of a giant black dragon cloaked in blue lightning as it roared with rage. A blurry brown-haired human held their ground at the foot of an equally enormous white dragon bathed in golden flames. Ghetsis caught only a glimpse of the brunette but did not think much of them. All of his focus was trained on the green-haired man who was shouting commands at the black dragon. Both creatures reared and let loose a catastrophe of energy. Cyan electricity and crimson flames engulfed the vision as it abruptly vanished, but Ghetsis had seen all that he needed to see.

Musharna suddenly collapsed on the floor, unconscious and Ghetsis loomed over it triumphantly. He stared up at the stars, their shining light glinting off of his gluttonous eyes, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

Suddenly, two women burst into the chamber. One had long lavender hair tied into a braid that flapped as she ran forward and the other had flowing rose-colored hair. Both were wearing bright smiles, bursting with joyful news.

"Master Ghetsis!" The lavender-haired woman called out, catching the man's attention.

"Concordia, what is it?" He questioned her before turning to the other. "Anthea, are you not supposed to be with my wife?"

"We bring you good tidings!" Concordia announced.

Anthea beamed, "Your son has been born! Lady Harmonia has delivered you a son!"

Ghetsis's eyes widened, the greed increasing in his gaze. "That's it. That's _him,_" he breathed. "A son you say? What a fortuitous day! I must see him at once!"

The two women only nodded, their smiles continuing to shine as they led him downstairs. Their long dresses swept from side to side as they danced to the nursing chamber, the cries of a healthy newborn growing in volume.

However, a bloodcurdling scream suddenly erupted from the room, completely drowning out the sounds of the newborn baby inside. Everyone stopped in their tracks for a moment before Concordia and Anthea sprinted for the room and charged in. Anthea demanded, "What has happened?"

They were greeted with a nurse covered in blood, desperate tears staining her face. She was frantically trying to stop the stream of blood that was gushing from the paling woman collapsed on the bed. "Lady Concordia, Lady Anthea, oh, it's awful! Lady Harmonia will not stop bleeding!"

They were immediately with Lady Harmonia, who was losing large quantities of blood very quickly. Anthea immediately put on gloves and started to try and save the new mother's life. "We need to operate! Her womb must be ruptured!" Anthea screamed, but she knew that Lady Harmonia's life was already forfeit.

Ghetsis had just entered the room and his eyes froze on the bloody figure of his dying wife. He felt his heart splintering as he reached for her. The crimson flood was swallowed in his deep red eyes and he felt the world around him turn strangely silent. He collapsed onto his knees at her bedside.

"Beverly…" he breathed. His wife turned towards his voice, reaching a hand up to him. He took it gently, ignoring the blood crusted on it. She began to speak but the sound of her voice was drowned out by the pure cry of an infant.

The sound broke through Ghetsis's silent world, and there, in the arms of another nurse, was his son. A gossamer mass of green hair was visible on his head, and Ghetsis's heart skipped a beat. Like a thirsty man who had seen a river, he staggered to his feet, letting his wife's hand drop back onto the bed. He stumbled hungrily over to the nurse and snatched the delicate baby with his knarred fingers. He ignored the screams of her protests, his eyes glazing over as an insane smile crept across his face. A small chuckle emitted from his throat, but it soon turned into bursting maniacal cackles.

All his dreams, all his aspirations…they were finally coming true. They were all fulfilled with the bundle that was in his hands. He wrapped his greedy arms around his son, not willing to let the ticket to his glorious future go.

In the background, Concordia tried to calm the hysterical man and relieve him of his child, but with one stroke of his arm, he smacked her head violently, sending her crashing to the ground. He settled back into his manic trance, back into his discordant world. Anthea's robe was becoming bloodier by the minute as she frantically tried to stop her Lady's life force from flowing out. Lady Harmonia felt her strength leaving and she reached for Anthea. The frantic women stopped and gazed at the dying women through tear-stained eyes. Salty tears tore down her cheek, mixing with the blood on her face.

Her voice had gained some strength, although it was hardly audible over the loud, raucous laughter of her husband. Lady Harmonia cast a glance at her husband, dulled eyes flickering with betrayal.

As she turned back to Anthea, tears began to trickle from her eyes. On her final breath, she gasped, "Please...his name…is…Na-" Before the name was finished, her voice died in her throat and her emerald eyes glazed over into a dull green.

In the background, Ghetsis's laughter continued, without a single thought for the death of his beloved wife. The young Harmonia prince continued to shriek piercing cries, as if mourning the loss of the mother he never knew.

However, far in the distance, in the little town of Nuvema, another miracle was granted. Two cries broke the silent night, echoing down the halls of the hospital. In the room, a relieved woman proudly held her newborn twins in her arms as her husband sat at her side, gazing lovingly at his wife and children.

"What shall we name them?" the man asked his wife, kissing her flustered cheek.

She smiled softly, closing her eyes, humming to herself. She opened her eyes to gaze at her newborns. The boy had his father's warm chocolate eyes and had already calmed down from his crying. The girl had her mother's aquamarine irises and her piercing cries had changed into pealing laughter. "I think…I'll name them…Touya and Touko."


	2. Ch 1: Birthday Celebrations

_Chapter 1: Birthday Celebrations_

* * *

_September 18, 2010_

The sun reached over the horizon, tickling the landscape with its golden rays, greeting the start of the new day. Not a single soul was stirring in Nuvema Town.

Not long before the sun shined its first lights of the day, a girl suddenly shot up from her slumber, eyes already wide awake, head buzzing in excitement. She snapped her eyes to her alarm clock, where the flashing lights of the digital clock read 5:27 A.M. It was not set to ring for at least another 2 hours, but it made no difference to this particularly excited teenager.

She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and hopped over to the bed adjacent to hers. A lumpy mess of blankets completely consumed the sleeping figure under them, but a snore so loud that a bulldozer would be jealous rumbled from underneath. The girl grinned and she jumped onto the bed with a graceful leap. The elasticity sprung her up and down as she landed on the soft material. The boisterous snores ceased and a small muffled groan broke the silence.

"Oy, Touya, TOUYA! Wake up!" The girl started to bounce on the bed, the springs creaking under the pressure. A muffled sound of protest sounded from the blankets, but the girl was not giving up. She took a particularly large bounce and landed in a straddling position on top of the lump and Touya gave a small yelp at the moment of impact.

"Come on, come on, you KNOW what day today is, and if you don't, then there's something seriously wrong with you! Come on, don't you want to wake up early today?" With a wide grin on her face, she started to shake her sleeping twin, in hopes that he would at least poke his head out of the blankets. It was not very effective at all and she felt him pull tighter into a ball beneath his blankets. Huffing in exasperation, she stood up and stared down at her brother. Deafening silence filled the room. Then, she spoke again.

"I said…" She leapt into the air and folded her legs in to a kneeling position. "…RISE AND SHINE!" She let gravity slam her shins down, with a terrible force, on top of her unfortunate, sleeping brother. A yell of pained surprise resounded through the room and Touya finally pulled the blankets off his head, although he neither rose nor shined. His sleepy eyes gave the laughing girl a withering glare, although said girl completely ignored it. She rolled off of him and sat cross-legged on the side of his bed, the grin still on her joyous face. "Good morning Touya!" she chirped.

Touya groggily lifted his head to look at the alarm clock. Squinting so that he could read the blurry numbers, Touya groaned and complained, "Touko, it's fricking 5:30! The hell would anyone be awake this early for?"

Correction, two souls were now awake in Nuvema Town.

Touko smirked and hopped off the bed, landing with a soft thud. "How can you expect me to sleep on this momentous day? Hell, I'm surprised _you_ can sleep in!" she teased, stretching her stiff muscles and joints. In truth, she was only exaggerating. The two were going to meet their best friends later and have a birthday bash, just like the year before this one, and the year before that…and the year before that...and basically for every year that the four of them had been friends. Belle and Cheren were the twins best and only two friends, but neither one could ask for better companions.

Touya raised himself up into a sitting position and tousled his messy brown hair, sighing again. Now that he was mostly awake and sleep was leaving his mind, he began to compose himself. Touko watched her brother hide behind his emotional wall again and inwardly sighed. He only ever seemed to show his true colors when he first woke up.

She hopped back onto his bed before taking a huge leap and landing back on her own bed. She grabbed two objects in both of her fists from the table at her bedside before hopping back over to Touya's bed, holding out one of her hands. Resting on her palm was a little keychain charm, the kind that can be strapped to a cellphone. A mini plastic Carracosta hung on a blue silk string with a tag labeled "Touya" attached to it. Touko flashed a bright grin to her twin and chirped, "Happy birthday, Touya!"

She offered the charm to him again. Touya blinked before taking the gift, flashing his signature mini smile. "And happy birthday to you, Touko."

Touko grinned and opened her other palm. It was also a cellphone charm, but instead of a Carracosta, an Archeops hung on a yellow string. "I got a matching charm," she smiled, "Since I knew we both really love these ancient Pokemon, I figured it would be a nice gift, you know, matching charms!" Considering that Touko barely had any allowance to spend, it was an incredible miracle that she had bought a gift, and Touya knew it. As if reading his mind, she scratched her cheek, and sheepishly said, "Since today is our birthday, I thought I'd actually try and get you something this year, ya know?" She cracked a small grin.

Touya smile grew a little wider and he replied, "Well thanks. I like it, really." Although he did not say the words with particular enthusiasm, Touko knew he was happy. She could always tell what he was feeling or thinking. It was a twin thing.

Touya got out of bed and did some quick stretching before saying, "I've got a gift for you too, but get dressed first. Since we are up anyways, we might as well just start out early on our jog."

Touko raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Why can't I get it now?"

She gave her brother a suspicious gaze, but he shrugged it off and poked her head with his index finger. "Just trust me, kay?" He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Touko sighed and followed after him. Once inside, she grabbed her toothbrush and slathered on a mountain of toothpaste before brushing her teeth furiously. In contrast, Touya used a sufficient amount of toothpaste and brushed in a methodical manner, careful not to miss a single tooth.

Safe to say, Touko was done much faster than her brother was and had rushed back into their room to change. She threw on some sports apparel and was in the processing of putting on a pair of socks when Touya came back into the room as well. Somehow, they knew when the other was not half-dressed and never walked in on the other in such an embarrassing manner.

With that, she ran to the bathroom to tie her voluminous mess of wavy brown hair into a ponytail. She yanked a brush through her hair, not caring too much about the hair that was pulled out along with the moving brush. She had so much of the stuff on her head; losing fifty hairs made no difference.

Pulling her hair up into a bouncy ponytail, Touko tied it off with a hair tie and smiled. She then noticed that two tufts of hair were sticking up…again. Sighing, she wet her finger and tried to press them down, but to no avail. Frustrated, she rolled her eyes and stomped out of the bathroom. For as long as she could tie her hair into a ponytail, those two tufts plagued her. She would not mind them as much if people did not call those follicle anomalies "cute." If there was one thing Touko hated, it was people calling her "cute." Sure, she loved her baby Pokemon and stuffed plushies, but heaven forbid anyone call her adorable. She did _not_ do adorable.

Touya had dressed himself in jogging attire as well, and was…holding something behind his back. Blinking, Touko walked forward to him, looking at him in anticipation. Touya gave her a small smile and pulled one of his hands out from behind his back. Touko let out a loud squeal.

"Is that..?!"

"Yup."

Touko took the present, a baseball cap, from his hands and held it like a pirate would with his precious treasure. The white baseball-styled cap had a pink bill and Poke ball design sewed onto the face of the cap. Practically bursting from excitement, she exclaimed, "Touya! This is Lilligant Apparel's new Sports Edition cap! These aren't even released yet, how did you…?" Her voice trailed off. Oh of course: his job at the sports store.

Touya nodded to her inaudible realization. "Yeah, my boss pulled some strings, since he owed me a favor anyways. I got to buy the hat before the official release next week. You like it?"

Touko scoffed, grabbing her ponytail and stuffing it through the hole in the back of the white hat. She pulled the cap over her head, adjusting it before grinning. "You tell me. Do I look like I like it?"

Touya feigned ignorance and shrugged. "Dunno. You're not smiling enough," he teased as he pulled his other arm from behind him. In it, he held an identical hat, except the bill and Poke ball were gray. The front half of the crown was red while the back remained white. He pulled the hat over his spiky hair and said, "And now we have matching hats as well."

His sister lightly punched him in the arm, grinning. "You're the best, Touya, ya know?"

Touya chuckled, walking past her. "You're welcome. Come on, let's get going," he replied as he opened the door out of their bedroom. He glided down the steps of the stairs while Touko decided to slide down the railing bars instead. They two went to the kitchen to grab their water bottles before heading outside.

The crisp and cool morning air hit their warm faces as the two stepped out. By now, the sun was shining a bit brighter, illuminating the dim morning scenery with its golden light and pricking their skin with warmth. The joyful song of early morning Pidoves foretold the coming of a great day. Touko ran after a huge flock of them and upon seeing the girl approaching them, the Pidove scattered in all directions, disappearing into the canopies of trees. The girl looked like she wanted to be able to follow after them, staring longingly up at them from the ground.

Touya said nothing of his sister's childish exploits, and turned to lock the door, a task he was used to doing after Touko would run off after leaving the house. Seemed like turning seventeen did nothing to quench the everlasting child-like spirit she harbored within her. In some ways, it was something to be envied and admired.

Touko's voice broke him out of his thoughts as she impatiently called for him to hurry up. Touya shrugged to himself and ran forward, catching up with his speedy twin.

* * *

It was around 7:45 when the two twins returned home. They tiptoed into the house and back up to their room, careful not to wake up their mother. Their large bathroom had two showers, installed by their mother for their convenience and privacy. By the time the sun was higher up in the sky, they were ready and dressed for the day to come.

Touko had on a loose white tank top and a short trimmed black vest. Her hair was back up in a ponytail, with her new hat on. She glanced at herself in the mirror, looking at her blue shorts in particular. Too short? She spun to the other side. Nah…

Touya wore a simple black T-shirt underneath a blue turtleneck jacket. His ashen cargo pants touched the floor and he made a note to tuck them into his shoes later when he left the house. With that, the twins walked down the staircase, where the telltale sounds of bacon sizzling and metal utensils banging against pots told them that their mother was awake and cooking a birthday breakfast for them.

"Good morning Mommy!" Touko gushed, bursting into the kitchen.

Their mother, a rather attractive woman for her age, turned and smiled at her daughter. "Good morning, honey! Happy birthday!" Even though her mother was busy cooking, Touko ran up to hug her, planting a kiss on her cheek before skipping to the table to take her seat.

Touya walked up as well, saying "Morning, Mom," with a warmer smile than usual.

His mother returned with a bright smile of her own, reiterating her words from earlier, "Good morning, sweetie, and happy birthday!" Her son took a seat at the table, replying with his thanks.

Touko grabbed a carton of orange juice from the table and filled her glass to the brim while Touya went for the milk. Their mother soon finished her cooking and brought over their dishes. Both had eggs, hash browns, bacon, and pancakes. However, Touko had chocolate chip pancakes while Touya had blueberry, just as they liked. They waited until their mother sat down with her own plate of food before digging in, but not before Touko had drowned all of her food in maple syrup. _All of it. _

Touya sighed at her actions as he dripped reasonable amounts of syrup onto his pancakes. In many ways, the two of them were so different, but it somehow brought them closer. He chewed his food thoughtfully as he watched his sister delightedly shovel syrup-covered eggs into her mouth. Maybe syrup on eggs tasted good?

He forked a piece of his scrambled eggs and dipped it into the runoff syrup on his plate. He put the morsel in his mouth, letting the flavor sink into his tongue. Furrowing his eyebrows, he decided that the taste did not suit him after all.

"So when will you two be meeting with Cheren and Belle?" the twins' mother asked, looking at her teenagers.

Touko was first to speak. "Oh uh, I think we were supposed to meet them at Belle's house!"

She did not provide the answer her mother was looking for, so Touya helped her. "Around 9:00. Belle wanted to give us our gifts first, so we are going to her house first."

With a twinkle in her eye, their mother said, "Oh is that so? Well, I have a small gift of my own for you two, but it will not be ready until 10:00. Why don't you bring over Belle and Cheren around then?"

Now both Touko and Touya were surprised. What kind of gift needed extra preparation? One look at their mother and they knew her lips were sealed. Touya had already decided not to press on, not caring all too much. He was able to wait. Touko, however, was a different story.

"What's our gift?" she asked, eyes sparkling in curiosity.

Her mother shook her head with a smile, saying, "I can't tell. It's supposed to be a surprise."

But Touko was relentless, pleading, "Not even a little, tiny, _itsy-bitsy _hint?" she pouted.

Touya listened on, amused when his mother rejected her infamous pout. "Nope. No can tell."

Touko sighed in resignation, stabbing a whole pancake and holding the floppy cake to her mouth, eating it in huge chomps. The family of three finished their breakfast with little conversation afterwards, and Touya helped his mother bring the dishes to the sink while Touko brought the drink cartons back to the fridge. The clock read 8:50 so Touko skipped towards the door to get her black high top boots on. Touya slipped his shoes on as well, tucking his long pants into the mandarin orange sneakers.

Grabbing her pink pocketbook, Touko ran out the door, yelling, "Bye Mommy! We'll be back at 10:00 to see what this super awesome present you won't tell us about is!'

Touya smiled before throwing the strap of his cerulean shoulder bag over his head, adding, "See you later Mom."

* * *

Up in her room, Belle was furiously coloring her card for her best friend. She had meant to wake up early to finish it, but had overslept, so was now rushing wildly to complete it. She whined as her arm started to cramp from the speedy movement, but pushed on, seeing that it was nearly time for Touko and Touya's arrival.

At a minute to 9:00, she finally relieved her cramping arm of coloring duty and proudly held up her card. Downstairs, the soft sound of a doorbell was heard, and Belle felt proud that she had finished just in time. She hopped up from her desk, grabbing the two gift bags she had on her desk and stuffing the newly finished cards into the respective bags. After slapping her green beret over her short, puffy blond hair, she barged out of her room and nearly fell down the stairs, stumbling and fortunately catching herself before she could end up in a really painful situation.

She heard the door open and the sounds of the twins' salutations, following by birthday wishes from her mother. Belle quickened her pace down the stairs, tripping again, but was not as fortunate to catch herself this time. Although she did not fall to the ground, she did end up crashing into a wall in front of the stairs instead. A loud thud resounded throughout the house. Rubbing her stinging face and dusting off her orange vest and white dress, she tottled towards the front door. A silly, friendly grin spread across her face at the sight of her two friends, who were looking at her warily after hearing the thud, knowing full well what probably had happened.

"Ohhhh happy happy, most happy birthday to you Touko! Touya!" she gushed, rushing forward to envelop Touko in a bear hug, the gift bags swinging through the air as her arms encircled her friend. Touko returned the hug with equal strength, squealing her thanks. Belle let go to give Touya a hug as well, which he returned timidly, patting her back awkwardly.

Belle let go just as she realized that her gifts had just gone through a roller coaster ride. "Oh oopsies!" she giggled, handing the bags to Touko and Touya. "Here you guys go! Happy birthday!"

Before Touko and Touya could reach for their gifts, Belle snatched them back, leaving the twins very confused until she switched the bags, her face flushing red. "Ahah, sorry! Wrong gift…"

Touko and Touya reached slowly for them this time, not sure if she was going to switch them again. Seeing that she was not going to, they took their gifts and thanked her warmly.

Touko reached into her bag and pulled out a card. Belle had drawn her in cartoon style, running in her track uniform. Belle was not a particularly talented artist, but her cards were always so full of love and heart that neither Touya or Touko cared about the art. However, Touko did have a comment about the art this time around.

"Uh hey Belle? My boobs are not this big…" She pointed the abnormally-sized bosoms of her cartoon counterpart.

Belle looked at her drawing, then looked at Touko's chest before clapping her hands to her mouth. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Ah…ah…I'll redo it!"

She made a move to take the card, but Touko jerked her hand back, waving her off. "No no, it's fine!" Touko tried to reassure her, giving her a grin. Belle retracted her hand, not entirely convinced, and Touko opened her card to read the message. Her smile grew larger and larger as she read, and by the end of it, she had attacked Belle in a hug.

"Aww Belle, you're too sweet to me! Thank you! I love this card so much!" she grinned. "I'm going to add it to my card wall, along with the other cards you've made me each year!"

Belle blushed, returning the hug. "Oh Touko, you're so welcome! Really, it's just a silly little card!" She pulled away, pointing at her bag. "Look at the other gift, hurry!"

Touko dug through the ridiculous amount of tissue paper that was used to line the bag and pulled out a soft Joltik plushy. She squealed and hugged the yellow stuffed toy to her chest, delighted by its cuteness. "My goodness Belle, this is so adorable!" Touko gushed, clutching it tightly, and heard a squeaking noise come from it as she squeezed.

Belle clapped her hands together, equally delighted, and said, "Oh yay! I knew how much you loved Joltiks, so when I saw a mountain of these little guys at Gothita's Toys, I just KNEW I had to get you this."

Meanwhile, Touya had read Belle's heartwarming card and had reached into the bag to pull out…a Munna plushy. Belle saw that he had revealed his gift and giggled. "I was not sure what to get you and I saw these Munna plushies and remembered you like Psychic Pokemon. Do you like it?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.

Touya was not overly thrilled about owning a Munna plushy, but it did not make a huge difference to him. He squeezed it. Yes it squeaked. "Yes I do. Thank you Belle. And thank you for the lovely card. Truly." He offered his small smile to her and Belle breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew! I was afraid you guys wouldn't like my gifts! That's a load off my shoulders!" she laughed nervously, flicking nonexistent sweat off her head.

Touko smirked, patting Belle's back. "Oh come on, Belle! You honestly think we don't love your gifts? You're like, the nicest and sweetest and most considerate person we know! Of course we love and cherish them!"

Touya nodded, poking Belle's head with his finger. "As Touko had said," he simply added.

At this moment, a cough caught their attention and the trio turned around to see their other friend standing on the porch, hands in the pockets of his teal blazer, looking bored.

"Sorry I'm late. My mother needed my help with something," the newcomer explained, walking into the house. He adjusted his frameless glasses and brushed his short black hair out of his face.

Belle, bubbly from her relief, chirped, "Hiya Cheren! Glad you're here! I just gave Touko and Touya their gifts, so it's your turn now!"

Cheren sighed, slipping off his matching teal loafers before stepping into the house with a smile. He reached into his blazer's inner pocket and pulled out two small, neatly wrapped packages. Touko's gift was wrapped in paper with a red rose pattern while Touya's was in a simple blue and white striped wrapping paper. Belle giggled a bit at Cheren's choice of wrapping paper for Touko's gift.

_Really subtle, Cheren,_ she thought in amusement.

Cheren handed the gifts to the twins, who took them without worry that they received the wrong package. In fact, they were probably the same item…

And the same item they were. However, Touko was confused about… "Why did you get us digital maps of Unova?" she asked, clicking through the portable map. It was really nifty…if she needed it. "It's not like we will ever leave Nuvema town anytime soon, right?" She smirked, but was happy nonetheless. "But thanks! This is actually really cool. Like, I didn't know they made such advanced digital maps like this!" She continued to click through the device, reading the information about each city that came with it, not noticing that Cheren's shoulders slightly slacked with relief at her approval.

Touya, however, was wondering the purpose of this gift. Cheren never gave anything, even birthday gifts, without good reason or purpose, so why a map? Touya looked up at Cheren with a smile, offering his thanks. "Thanks a lot Cheren. This will come in handy someday, I'm sure."

Remembering an important detail, Touko suddenly chirped, "Oh yeah! Mommy said that she had something planned at 10:00, and she wanted both of you to come to our house later as well!"

Belle cocked her head to the side, surprised by this bit of news. Cheren did not seem surprised, or perhaps he was just looking bored as usual, but Touya had a feeling that he knew something no one else did. Cheren's deep sea-blue eyes met Touya's chocolate ones, and the two seemed to share a mental understanding of some secret. Belle's voice interrupted their stare, "Oh that's fine! But we have some time to burn, so why don't we do something until then?" she smiled warmly and Touko jumped excitedly, grasping her friend's shoulders.

"Oh can we play with your Xbox 360, oh please oh please?" she begged. She and Touya owned a Wii, but only Belle had an Xbox 360. Cheren was not much of a gamer and sighed at Touko's proposition. He was in for a long hour.

He sighed again when Belle grinned and took Touko's hand, running for the stairs. "Of course! Anything for the birthday girl! And birthday boy!" She amended her statement to include Touya.

Sounds of the girls running up the stairs could be heard, followed by a loud thud, along with Touko's worried voice asking if Belle was alright. After a moaned word of reassurance, the thumps up the stairs continued. Cheren chuckled and went towards the stairs. "Shall we?" he asked Touya.

The male twin shrugged and smiled. "Sure. At least until this 'surprise' at 10:00 is revealed." The two shared a knowing smile as they walked up the stairs, where Belle and Touko were happily starting up the video game console.

* * *

Meanwhile, up in the far northern parts of Unova, a very different birthday party was being celebrated. A youth of eighteen sat in front of a mirror while two women bustled around him doing last minute adjustments of his hair and clothes. Both women seemed jaded from years of tedious and harsh work. Ever since the death of their dear Lady Harmonia, life at the Team Plasma castle had been dull and cold. Life seemed to turn surreal and pointless, with no clear direction or purpose. Team Plasma had grown powerful over the years, but little seemed to be done towards accomplishing their goal. The women were not sure what they goal was anymore. Their last hopes of a meaningful existence rested in the stately young man sitting in front of them, the man who will bring a glorious future to Team Plasma, and perhaps bring purpose to the organization's goals.

The man gazed at the two women in the mirror with his sea blue eyes and asked in a patient voice, "Lady Concordia, Lady Anthea, are preparations finished yet?"

Concordia smiled into the mirror with tired eyes, fluffing the man's long green hair one last time before answering, "You look splendid, Lord N. Your mother would have been proud."

N blinked slowly. He had rarely heard things about his mother, and when he did, they were always vague statements, such as the empty compliment Concordia had just given him. He stood up as Anthea fetched a glamorous golden cape, decorated with intricate designs and expensive gems, which she proceeded to clasp onto his extravagant robe.

A knock was heard at the door of the dressing room, which Concordia answered. One of the sages, Rood, was at the door and he bowed his head, asking in his strong voice, "Is Lord N ready?"

N turned to the sage, who immediately bowed deeply. "Lord N, everyone is waiting at the grand hall. Please come with me."

The young man nodded and walked out the door, with Anthea holding up the long cape, so that it would not touch the floor as he walked. The other five sages were waiting for him and they all took hold of the cape from both sides, so that they could continue carrying it in Anthea's stead.

The group promenaded towards the coronation hall. The grand doors to the hall opened and N was met with the site of the hundreds of members of Team Plasma. The group proceeded down along the navy blue carpet, walking regally to the golden throne that waited at the end of the enormous hall.

All around, murmurs of excitement and anticipation were heard as members of Team Plasma watched their future king being escorted to his grand throne. N kept his head down as he walked, lost in his thoughts. He reminisced in the memories of the dear Darmanitan he was friends with as a child…the sweet Zorua who had suffered so much…all the lost and hurt Pokemon he befriended. All these Pokemon had to endure the cruelty of humans; they had to endure the pain, the abuse, the abandonment, and the insults. Humans they trusted and loved eventually casted them aside like useless scum and trash. Remembering these Pokemon, N recalled his true purpose in life, the reason he was here today.

He had finally reached the throne, and saw his father waiting for him. Was that pride he saw in his father's eyes? Pride that his son was finally ready to fulfill his duty of liberating the Pokemon of this world from the hands of oppressive trainers? Yes, that must be it.

For N's only purpose in life was to free his friends, the Pokemon, and rid their lives of the nuisance that was the human race.

N stepped up to his throne and turned around to face the masses that had congregated for his coronation. Beside him, his father, Ghetsis, stepped forward, his commanding voice echoing through the colossal hall.

"Fellow brethren of Team Plasma, I thank you all today for joining us at this momentous occasion! Today, you shall witness the crowning of a king: your new king! My son, N, turns the age of eighteen this day and has agreed to take over as the ruler of our magnificent society, to fulfill his innate duties as the liberator of Pokemon from mankind!" Ghetsis turned to face his son, the crown in his hand sparkling from the magnificent lights illuminating overhead.

The crowd erupted into tremendous cheers. Ghetsis grinned and boomed, "The younger generation will inherit this world, so N would serve as the most righteous king among us all. His ideals are pure and his determination is steadfast. Our organization needs a fresh, young leader to lead us all to a future where Pokemon can live freely!"

The cheers continued, increasing in volume as Ghetsis held up the crown above N's head. "So from this moment forward, I appoint thee, N Harmonia, as the new ruler of Team Plasma!" As he placed the crown atop his son's head, he finished, "Let us all go forth and commit ourselves to Team Plasma's mission under King N!"

A vehement cacophony of applause swept through the hall. Every member of Team Plasma was cheering loudly for their new king, feeling as if their decades of hard work had finally paid off, and that the organization's true purpose will arise from the dust of their labors. Concordia and Anthea watched uneasily, still apprehensive about the situation. Was this really what they had wanted? What the world needed? They did not know anymore.

Ghetsis watched his son, who had begun waving to his subjects. N's expression was still stoic and emotionless, without any hint of excitement or enjoyment in the cheers of the people. Ghetsis felt himself inwardly smirk. He had raised his son well.

Yes, after years of sweat and blood, his dreams were finally becoming a reality.

* * *

**A/N: I can't believe I actually wrote this much. I wasn't planning on including this blurb about N's coronation at first, but I felt like it was a very pivotal moment, and needed to be included. So here it is! Again, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and the next chapter will be out soon! Please review in the meantime! Thanks guys!**

**Shout out to The Awesomeness(or whatever you true username may be!). Thanks for being my first reviewer! Your comment gave me a happy feeling on the inside! It made me feel very encouraged to write more, so thanks a lot for that! **

**~Alexie**


	3. Ch 2: Who to Choose?

_Chapter 2: Who to Choose?_

* * *

_September 18, 2010_

After nine consecutive wins, Belle yelled out in victory, netting yet another win. Touko pouted next to her, always coming _so_ close to beating her...only to lose to the jaws of defeat at the last moment. Touya was third, although it mattered little to him. Cheren had given up any kind of hope of playing efficiently long ago. He decided that he would stick to computers, calculators, and books, thank you very much.

Touya glanced at his watch and poked Touko's head. "Hey Touko, it's already 10:18."

Touko's head snapped to gape at him in shock and she jumped to her feet, the game controller dropping from her hands. "What? Why did no one say anything? And...for god's sake!" She pointed at the DVD player under the TV, "There's a clock right there! Oh jeez, come on, we gotta hurry to my house! I want to see what Mommy planned!"

Belle, who was desperately checking the condition of her dropped controller, found herself yanked to her feet as Touko dragged her towards the door. "Wait, Touko! Let me turn off my Xbox!" she whined as her female friend pulled her from her room. The boys watched the girls leave before Touya picked up the controllers and put them over near the game console. He turned off the device and turned to leave when Belle's screamed, another loud thud resonating through the house. Cheren chuckled to himself. It was never a boring day around Touko or Belle.

After Belle composed herself and begged Touko to stop apologizing, the quartet headed back over to the twins' house. Touko would have run there if not for the fact that Touya had kept her restrained, fearing that poor Belle would trip and fall if she were to run. The group finally reached the house, and Touko burst through the door, yelling, "Mommy! We're back!"

She kicked off her shoes, sending them flying, one almost hitting Belle, and ran into the living room, finding it empty. The television was on the news channel, which was broadcasting live from the newest Pokemon hospital that Team Plasma had built. Touko turned around and ran back into the foyer before running into the kitchen. She found her mother preparing a mug of tea and the woman smiled when she saw her eager daughter.

"Welcome back dear, did you have a good time?" she asked, keeping Touko in suspense.

Touko, having none of that, smirked. "Are you ready to tell us this huge secret you had planned?"

Her mother giggled and nodded, saying, "Of course. You're late you know. The surprise is in your room."

With that, Touko was gone, yelling as she ran away. "Thanks Mommy!" The group had just taken off their shoes and were headed to the kitchen when Touko zoomed right past them again, thankfully not knocking into Belle. She was already halfway up the stairs when the trio realized what had happened.

"Touko, where are you going?" Belle whined in exasperation and was answered with a curt "MY ROOM!" from Touko.

The three teenagers gave a collective sigh and started to climb the stairs. By the time Touya and Cheren had reached the top, Belle had just started, and to no one's surprise, had already tripped on the first step. It was a miracle that she had survived seventeen years of her life with a room on the second story of her house.

"Go on ahead you two, I'll be there in a moment!" Belle called out weakly, and the two boys pursed their lips before walking to the bedroom.

They stopped at the door, seeing Touko kneeling on the ground in the middle of the room, inspecting something. Touya poked his head over her shoulder to see what she was looking at and saw a bright blue box, tied off with an elaborate green ribbon, sitting on the floor of their bedroom. Cheren chuckled to himself. So the hints dropped by his father, a Pokemon researcher, were true.

Touko turned her head to look at her brother, her blue eyes shining. "What do you think it is? There's only one box!" Her voice was dripping with curiosity.

Touya reached for the box, standing back up with it in his hands. "Only one way to find out, huh?" he smiled at her.

Cheren put his hand on his shoulder, smirking. "Shouldn't we wait for Miss Two-Left-Feet first?"

"Cheren, no fair! What a thing to say about me!" came Belle's insulted voice as she appeared at the doorway, hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out in mock anger.

Cheren chuckled, holding his hands up in defense. "Sorry, sorry."

Belle bounced over to the group, her eyes catching on the pretty blue box in Touya's hands. "Ooohhh, is that your present? Go on! Open it up and see what's inside!" She giggled, grabbing Touko's arm.

Touya nodded, taking off the ribbon and letting it fall to the floor. Four pairs of eyes barely blinked as the box was opened. Inside, a piece of velvet covered the box, hiding something underneath. A small piece of blue and white stationary was placed on top.

Cheren stated the obvious. "There's a note. Perhaps you should read it first."

Touko was already reaching for the paper as he said those words and she opened her mouth to read the neat cursive handwriting on the letter.

_Dear Touya and Touko,_

_First off, I would like to wish you two a happy birthday, and a pleasant day today!_

_I had made a promise to your father that when you were 18 years old, I would give you your first Pokemon, but your mother has also requested that your friends, Cheren and Belle, receive Pokemon as well. I've brought four Pokemon, one for the two of you, as well as your two friends. Normally, there would be three Pokemon, but luckily enough, it just so happened that my Samurott bred two Oshawott. The other two balls contain a Tepig and a Snivy. Please settle your choices politely, and I hope you will treat your new Pokemon with love and kindness!  
Enjoy your Pokemon!_

_-Professor Juniper_

As she read, the expressions of all four friends, even that of Touya's, turned into ones of excitement, and Touko practically squealed the last words, picking up speed as she read. When she finished, she gushed, "Holy crap, then that must mean…!"

She reached for the velvet covering and pulled it off, revealing the four shining Poke balls in the box. Red and silver semicircles met to form a lustrous, spherical capsule. They were organized in a square, each with a small design engraved on the center of the buttons: a tongue of fire, a leaf, and two drops of water.

Cheren smirked, seeing his assumption had been correct, but made no mention that he had known about this all along. Touya's excited face had gone back to his calm smile while Touko was completely ecstatic, mouth ajar in a silly grin. Belle's eyes were wide and shining and all four new trainers were staring at the Poke balls, silence falling over the room.

Cheren coughed to break the silence, smiling. "I say we let Touko and Touya pick first, since these were meant for them in the first place. Of course, it is their birthday as well."

Belle nodded furiously in agreement, letting go of Touko's arm. "Go ahead you two, take your pick!"

Much to Cheren and Belle's surprise, Touko did not immediately reach for the Poke balls, but rather, seemed to be deliberating for once. Her marine blue eyes met her brother's warm brown eyes. Their faces broke into identical smiles and they nodded, reaching for the Poke balls they had chosen. When their hands pulled away, the bottom two Poke balls, the ones with the water engravings, were gone, and Cheren smiled. As he had expected.

Before Cheren got another word in, however, another hand snatched one of the Poke balls away and his eyes followed it back to his blond friend, who was now hugging the ball tightly to her chest, squealing, "I call Tepig!"

Cheren let out an exasperated sigh, taking the remaining Poke ball with a shake of his head. "Honestly Belle, you should have worked out an agreement with me before taking your pick. However." He smiled down at his newly obtained Poke ball. "I had wanted Snivy anyways."

Belle stuck her tongue out cutely, giggling nervously. "Oopsies! Sorry about that Cheren. But at least we all got the ones we want right?" Her eyes shot to each of her friends, a joyous grin illuminating her child-like face.

The trio nodded, each clutching their Poke balls, delight evident on their faces. Belle clapped her hands together, chirping, "Oh, oh, I know! How about we have a Pokemon battle right now?"

Cheren raised his eyebrows, asking, "In here? Honestly, weak as they are, isn't that rather dangerous?"

Belle waved off his worries, remarking, "Oh come on! They're just babies! It's not like they can do some serious damage, right?" She turned to Touko, eyes glittering mischievously, "Touko, how about you test your Oshawhy against my Tepig?"

"Oshawott," Touko corrected her with a grin. "And sounds great! I'm sure everything will be fine!" With that, the two girls went to opposite sides of the room, leaving the two boys sighing again. Guess they had no choice…

As Touya and Cheren took a seat on one of the beds, Belle held out her Poke ball, trying to strike a dramatic pose. "Trainer Touko, I challenge you to a battle!" she said in a low voice, putting on her "serious" face.

Touko giggled, pulling a pose of her own. "I _accept_ your challenge, Trainer Belle!" she returned, using a low voice as well. Cheren rolled his eyes as Touya chuckled. Those two were so silly.

Touko threw the poke ball into the air and a loud pop sounded as a glittering golden light released the creature within, materializing into a bipedal water type Pokemon. An elliptical brown nose and navy blue ears were defining features on its head. Small freckles dotted the white cheeks under its large, watery black eyes. It had a cyan blue body with an ivory scalchop on its belly, along with a dark blue tail and flipper feet. The little Sea Otter Pokemon hopped in place, its little white arms waving around happily at its release.

Touko caught the falling Poke Ball and immediately kneeled on the ground, gathering the little Pokemon in her arms into a huge hug. "Holy Bouffalant, you are the most _adorable_ little thing ever!" She giggled, squeezing the distressed Oshawott. It had just been released and was eager to move around, but this…human….was cruelly restricting its movements.

It opened its mouth to whine in protest, "Osha, Oshawott!" only to have Touko squeeze it even harder.

Cheren's amused voice brought her out of her trance, "Hey Touko. Your Oshawott is looking a little blue there."

Touko immediately released the uncomfortable Pokemon and it let out a sigh of relief before looking warily at the girl in front of him. Touko smirked at Cheren's pun, turning her attention back to Oshawott.

She poked his scalchop, giggling. "Awww, look at that! You have a seashell on your belly! And your nose," she poked it as well, "It's so big. Oh and look at those freckled cheeks!" She grabbed them in her hands, pinching them. The Oshawott was becoming even more distressed now, trying to pull away, whining loudly.

In the whole time that Touko was gushing over her new Pokemon, Belle had tried to release hers as well, only to drop her Poke ball and watch it roll under Touko's bed. She dived to her heads and knees to retrieve it, crashing headfirst into, luckily, Touko's mattress. She put her head to the ground and looked for the Poke ball, finding it a distance from the opening. She snaked her arm under the bed, reaching for the capsule, finding that she could not reach it. Huffing, she tried to stretch her arm further, feeling her fingers brush against the Poke ball. Realizing she could not grab it, she gave one mighty poke and managed to get the Poke ball rolling out the other side of the bed.

She got clumsily to her feet and went to pick it up. Standing back up, she dusted herself off before grinning, seeing Touko pinching Oshawott's cheeks. Belle went back to her place and yelled triumphantly. "Come on out, Tepig!"

Just as Oshawott did, Tepig materialized out of a golden light, and gave a cry of surprise. "Tepig?" It turned around in a circle to get a good look at its surroundings. It was around feeding time, but where was the nice lady in the white coat…?

Touko had stopped in mid-pinch to look at the Pokemon that Belle had just released. Tepig was a small piglet with the top half of its face, floppy ears, bottom, and feet painted in a shade of umber while the rest of its body and legs were a deep orange color. Its rose colored nose, which matched the color of the sphere at the end of its curly tail, snorted out flames. A patch of yellow covered the area above its nose, between the Fire Pig Pokemon's friendly eyes.

Tepig turned around to see a girl dressed up in orange and white attire, gazing at it with a very adoring expression. She had not noticed that the Poke ball had come to return to her, but because she did not catch it, the capsule hit her head instead. Rubbing her head, she bent down to pick up the fallen ball.

While Belle and Touko were too busy gushing over their confused Pokemon, Touya and Cheren watched in exasperation. Females…

"Oy Touko…Belle…didn't you guys say you were having a battle?" Cheren asked in a patient voice, having dealt with such scenarios a myriad of times in the past.

Both Belle and Touko snapped out of their dazed joy and looked at each other. "Oh yeah…" Touko mumbled, letting go of her very relieved Oshawott, who immediately ran away from her. Its parents had told it about how someday he would be raised by a "human" known as a "trainer," which was why it was here. It stood a few feet in front of the girl, looking apprehensively at who was apparently its new "trainer". Oh boy…

Belle clapped her hands to her mouth, uttering another apology, before trying to put a serious expression back on. She reached up to straighten her green beret, smiling. "Alright birthday girl, I'll give you the first move!"

Touko stared blankly at the Pokemon in front of her, not sure what to do. Touya chuckled, seeing that his twin had no clue what to say to her Pokemon.

Cheren sighed and offered, "As a baby, Oshawott will know basic attacks and defenses like Tackle and Tail Whip," and as an added measure, he turned to Belle and said, "Same goes for Tepig."

The two girls gave him relieved stares, before turning back to their opponent. Touko adjusted her hat as well, giving a determined smile. "Alright! Oshawott, give that Tepig a Tackle!"

Oshawott's little ears perked at the command, but it was not sure about whether or not to listen to this girl who it had perceived as absolutely crazy.

It did not move and Belle giggled. "Oopsies, doesn't look like it's listening. My turn!" She pointed forward, chirping, "Tepig, Tackle!"

The little Fire Pig Pokemon obliged, charging at Oshawott, flame snorting from its nostrils. Oshawott panicked, not moving away as its opponent charged at it. Desperately, Touko yelled out, "Dodge it!"

Not needing more encouragement, the little water type leapt out just in time to evade the incoming Tackle. However, Tepig was now unable to stop itself, tumbling straight at Touko's legs. She was able to dodge with her quick reflexes, but because she did, the Tepig kept going… and crashed right into the trash can. The can fell over with a loud crash, spilling its contents all over the ground. The Tepig shook itself off, slightly irritated by the miss. Cheren grimaced, knowing this was not going to end well.

In the meantime, Oshawott was ready to fight, crazy girl or not. Touko quickly yelled out, "Oshawott, Tail Whip!"

Turning its back to Tepig, Oshawott waved its tail to lower Tepig's guard. However, the little pig Pokemon took offense and charged at Oshawott again. Belle yelled out, "Wait wait wait! Tepig, I didn't say to Tackle again!"

Oshawott dodged again and this time, Tepig went crashing into the potted plant in the corner, knocking it over and dashing soil all over the ground.

Neither Touko nor Belle took notice, now enraptured in their battle. "Oshawott, time to attack! Tackle Tepig!"

Belle countered with, "Tepig, use Tail Whip as well!"

The fire type waved its tail around, the pink orb bouncing about. Oshawott went barreling for it and Tepig ran away, panicking. When Oshawott went in for the Tackle, Tepig turned to its left and leapt up onto a bookshelf. This caused Oshawott's head to crash into the side of the flat-screen TV, forcing it to shift forward and nearly toppling over.

Angered, Oshawott chased Tepig up to the bookshelf and the two Pokemon began to wrestle each other. The combined weight of the two made the bookshelf wobble before it gave way to gravity, collapsing onto the ground with a thunderous smash. Still, neither girl seemed to notice, completely transfixed on their Pokemon.

"Oshawott, keep trying to Tackle!"

"Uh, Tepig, you do the same!"

The two Pokemon ran rampant around the room, trying to tackle the other. Whenever the attacks did not connect, the Pokemon went flying into some object in the room, whether it was a desk, computer, or book.

Cheren's mouth was gaping in shock while Touya's eyebrows were so high that they slipped under his hat. Cheren started to say something to control the situation, but was forced to dodge when Oshawott nearly tackled into him. Touya leapt up from his bed, worried that Tepig may go crashing into him any moment.

By now, the two battling Pokemon seemed to be wearing down, but their Trainers were still full of fire. "Oshawott, finish this off with one more Tackle!"

"Tepig! Don't let it! _You _finish this with your tackle!"

The Pokemon stared each other down before charging straight at each other, colliding heads in the center of the room. The room went silent as the two Pokemon fell to the ground, unmoving, swirls in their eyes.

A long silence dragged out. When neither Pokemon showed no signs of recovering, Touya coughed. "Both sides are unable to battle, therefore this match is a draw."

Another awkward silence followed before Belle chirped, "Wow…Touko! You're going to be an awesome trainer someday! My Tepig was all over the place…" She giggled nervously, fidgeting with her beret.

Touko responded with an embarrassed laugh, admitting, "Nah…I was just randomly saying stuff…"

Another cough caught the girls' attention and they turned to see Cheren giving them aggravated looks. "If you ladies could take a moment to take a look around you…" He sighed, gesturing all around him.

Belle and Touko looked around, their expressions contorting into shock. All around, books were strewn on the floor, many pieces of furniture were knocked over, and the poor plant in the corner was slumped on the floor.

Touko stared at her rummaged bed as Belle whistled and said in a timid voice, "Wooooow. Pokemon are _amaaaazing. _I mean..." She weakly gestured to the room as well. "Look how strong these little guys are! I could never do THIS much damage to anything! I'm so glad I get to have a Pokemon! " She giggled nervously.

Touko gave her an exasperated gape, sputtering, "Easy enough for you to say! This is MY room!" She groaned, clutching at her face. "What is Mommy going to say?!"

Belle quickly ran over to Touko, grasping her shoulders. "Sorry, sorry, Touko, Touya! It's ok, it's ok! I'm sure your mom won't be mad! I mean, she probably knew giving us Pokemon would have this kind of outcome, so I'm sure she won't be too upset!" She tried to reassure her distressed friend.

Cheren placed his hand to his glasses, adjusting them. "You…are completely hopeless Belle…" he murmured.

"Come on, let's have the guys battle! I'm sure they won't make the room any messier, especially if Cheren is battling!" Belle chirped optimistically, choosing to ignore Cheren's insult.

Cheren raised his eyebrows and Touya let out a small scoff, knowing how much Cheren's ego probably went up from that one little statement. Cheren placed his hand to his chin, smiling. "Yes, I do believe I can. It will be no problem for someone like me." Both Touya and Touko rolled their eyes as he continued, "And besides, it's unfair if only the girls get to have their fun. Come on Touya, let's show them how battling is really done." He smiled at his male friend and Touya shrugged, walking over to where Touko stood.

Cheren did not immediately go to his place, but instead, headed to the fainted Pokemon on the ground, who were both starting to regain consciousness. "I have some potions to heal them with," he said, reaching into his blazer to pull out two purple bottles. He lifted one of them to Belle's Tepig and sprayed the contents on its head.

The Tepig shook his head, snorting more flames out of his nostrils before jumping back on its feet, happily exclaiming, "Tepig, Tep!"

Smiling, Cheren put the empty potion bottle away and lifted the other to spray on Oshawott, but Touko grabbed his hand to stop him. Smiling, she asked, "Cheren, do you think I can try healing my Pokemon?"

Cheren blinked, returned the smile and handed her the potion. "Sure thing Touko. Here you go."

Touko took the bottle in her hand while scooping up her disoriented Oshawott in her other arm. She sat down on her bed and held the spray bottle up to Oshawott's head, squeezing the trigger to spray the medicine. Oshawott winced at the feel of the cool spray but opened it eyes fully. It looked up at his trainer and Touko gave him a soft smile, giggling, "Feeling better? Thank you for that battle, you were awesome!" She placed it gently on her lap, careful that it would not get hurt anymore. "By the way, my name's Touko. It's nice to meet you, Oshawott!" she giggled.

Oshawott blinked in surprise. It had expected the crazy human to suffocate it or pinch its cheeks again, but instead, she had healed it and gently let it sit in her lap. Perhaps his first impression of her was wrong. Still, he was suspicious of her.

Belle picked up her Tepig, who stared at her, confused. "Oh I'm sorry Tepig! I didn't mean to make you battle so hard!" She pouted. "You worked real hard! Let's take a rest and watch the boys battle ok?" After hearing Touko's introduction, she quickly added, "Oh yes, my name is Belle!"

Tepig blinked in response, not quite sure what was happening. Belle sat down next to Touko, setting Tepig on her lap as well. Oshawott glanced warily at the Tepig before looking away. It was not ready to make peace with the Fire Pig Pokemon and Tepig felt the same about the Sea Otter Pokemon. Neither Pokemon said a word to each other as they watched the boys prepare for their battle.

Touya casually stood at the end that Touko had been at, holding his Poke ball to his chest. Cheren was standing with his hands in his blazer pockets again, smiling, "Touya, you can release your Pokemon first."

The male twin nodded, throwing the Pokeball into the air, and his own Oshawott appeared. This Oshawott seemed surprised by its new surroundings but had noticed the human behind him and came to the understanding that it had a new trainer. It turned its attention back in front of it when it heard the crack of another Poke ball opening. Snivy, the final Pokemon, was summoned from its capsule.

The Grass Snake Pokemon stood on two feet, proudly sticking its head up in the air. Except for its beige belly and legs, Snivy was covered in bright emerald green scales, with brown eyes framed by golden markings. Two golden leaves protruded from its shoulders, giving it a very pompous appearance, amplified by the Pokemon's pose. It swished its leaf shaped tail and chuckled at the Oshawott in front of it.

Belle almost burst out laughing. That Pokemon was probably more arrogant in attitude than Cheren was! A small giggle escaped her lips, but no one seemed to notice. Everyone was focused on the battle that was about to begin.

Cheren pointed at Touya and declared, "You may have the first move!"

Touya nodded, saying calmly, "Oshawott, Tail Whip."

Like Touko's Oshawott, this one turned around and swished it tail, attemping to lower Snivy's defense.

Snivy scoffed, waiting for an order. Cheren noticed his Pokemon's readiness and said, "Snivy, Leer."

Snivy smiled and gave Oshawott a withering gaze and the little Sea Otter Pokemon winced.

Touya called out, "Don't worry about it, Oshawott, and go ahead and Tackle!"

Oshawott steadied itself and dashed at Snivy, readying for a strong tackle. Cheren immediately responded with his own Tackle command.

Before Snivy could move, however, the Tackle hit it head on, and the little grass type gasped as it fell back from the force, but immediately got back to its feet, tackling Oshawott. Now it was Oshawott's turn to go flying. Before it had a chance to recover, Cheren called, "Snivy, Leer again!"

As Snivy gave another derogatory stare, Touya shouted encouragement to his Oshawott, "You're doing great Oshawott! Tackle again!"

Oshawott recovered and charged at Snivy again, tackling it to the ground again. Snivy was not as fast to recover this time, and Touya took advantage of this to call out another Tackle.

"Don't give them the chance! Dodge and Tackle, Snivy!" Cheren ordered. Snivy tried to dodge, but was not quick enough to escape the crushing blow from Oshawott. It stumbled back before falling over, fainted.

From the sidelines, Belle chirped, "Snivy is unable to battle, so the winner of this match is Touya and Oshawott!"

Cheren sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time that day and walked over to his Pokemon to heal it. When it awoke, he picked it up and smiled. "Thanks Snivy. You did good work. My name is Cheren. You and I will make a great team." Snivy frowned a bit, slightly doubting that statement. Afterall, it believed it was because of its new trainer's incompetence that it had lost. Nonetheless, Snivy nodded to acknowledge his statement.

Across the room, Touya bent down to address his Oshawott with a small smile. "Thanks buddy. You were fantastic. Name's Touya, nice to meet you." Oshawott returned his smiled, placing its hands on its hips. "Osha, osha, oshawott!" it greeted.

Now that the battle was over, nothing could distract Touko from the matter of… "What is mom going to say about this?" She moaned again, falling back onto the bed, giving a frustrated groan. Her Oshawott stared at her, confused. Maybe she was crazy after all, with the strange sound she just made.

Touya took off his hat, running a hand through his hair. "Guess we just have to explain it to Mom." He sighed, looking around the room.

Touko shot back up, startling her Oshawott, and exclaimed, "Well I'm not telling her! You know I'm not good at telling her bad news!" She whined before her eyes wandered to Cheren. Placing her Oshawott on the bed next to her, she leapt up and over to him.

"Cheren, can't you explain this to my mom, please? You're so good at getting on people's good sides, and I'm sure if you tell her, she won't be mad at all!" Touko pleaded with him, giving him her infamous pout.

Cheren flinched. He of all people had the hardest time denying a request from her when she used her pout. With yet another frustrated sigh, he slowly nodded, much to Touko's glee. "Fine fine, but Belle, you're helping me. This was all your idea, after all." He walked over to the stairs, starting down.

Belle timidly stood up, walking over to the stairs. "Of course Cheren!" She called out before turning to face the twins. With an apologetic smile, she bowed her head nervously. "Um…sorry about your room again! I'll fix things, don't worry," she said before heading down the stairs. For once, there was no loud thump to signal that Belle had fallen. Perhaps holding Tepig made her more careful…

Touko walked over to the TV, staring at it before noticing what was under it. Touya stared around the room, slightly dismayed that many of his books were scattered on the floor, pages bent, and some even ripped.

"Hey Touya?" Touko called out.

"Yeah?"

"At least the Wii is alright…"

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully that was a bit more fun to read this time around! This took SO long to put out, but I'm having a lot of fun writing this, some parts more than others. I realize Cheren and Touya's battle was not as entertaining to read, but then again, they are more sophisticated and learned than the girls are…**

**Anyways, review please, and thanks for reading! Next chapter may not be out tomorrow. You must realize I'm only updating so fast now because I'm just so excited, but I do have homework and such to complete. **

**Peace out!**

**~Alexie Sousa**


	4. Ch 3: First Step of the Journey

_Chapter 3: First Step of the Journey_

* * *

_September 18, 2010_

The twins warily left their room and walked down to the living room. At the foot of the stairs, they saw their mother, face unreadable, listening to Cheren speak.

"So Mrs. Clearwater...we are so sorry about the mess we made. We did not mean to cause trouble," Cheren said smoothly.

Belle sheepishly offered, "We can help clean up..."

The twins' mother, whose face finally brightened into a smile, waved off Belle's words with a kind smile. "Oh no, it's quite alright. I'll just cleanup for you guys. I could hear your Pokemon clear down here! That must have been quite the battle you guys were having. But look at your Pokemon! They're so cute." She laughed. "I don't think the letter mentioned it, but you were supposed to meet with Professor Juniper after you received your Pokemon." She looked at her watch, amused. "The Professor should be expecting you right now. Hurry along!"

Touko and Touya thanked the stars that their mother was not upset and actually had a reaction quite the opposite of what they expected. They both hugged her at the same time. Touya's Oshawott had climbed onto his shoulder, but Touko's unfortunate Pokemon was smashed within the embrace.

Touko giggled, "Thank you Mommy!"

Touya smiled. "And to Dad too..."

At this point Cheren remembered the note. "Oh yes! Belle and I must thank you for the recommendation as well. If not for your recommendation, we would not have Pokemon to call our own. We are most grateful to you." He flashed her a smile.

Belle piped up, "Oh yes, thank you so, so much! I love my little Tepig so much!" A silly grin lit up her face. She planted a kiss on her little Pokemon's head and it oinked in surprise again.

The twins' mother walked over to Cheren, ruffling his hair. As the teenager reached up to fix his raven hair, she chimed, "Cheren, you don't have to be so formal! And Belle, you are most welcome! You four have been friends for so long, it only seemed fair...and Professor Juniper was more than happy to oblige. After all…oh, speaking of!" She started pushing her kids towards the door. "You four have an appointment with the Professor! Be sure to thank her for the Pokemon!" She grinned. "Now hurry!"

* * *

The town of Nuvema was the smallest in all of Unova. In reality, it was originally a private site for the construction of a Pokemon research facility, but soon, houses were springing up and the town of Nuvema was born.

It had everything the residents needed: a ship port, a supermarket, a clothing store, a bank, a hospital, a couple of schools, and a number of other little stores and businesses. Since there were actually only about a couple hundred families living here, the houses and buildings were all within walking or biking distance. One could easily walk the length of the town in an hour.

The lab was rather close to the twin's house. Within a 10 minute walk, the four teens were standing in front of the Pokemon lab. Cheren pressed the doorbell to announce their arrival, and the loudspeaker next to the door beeped. A melodic female voice came from the intercom, asking, "Who is it?"

Touya pressed the button under the intercom, which allowed him to speak back. "It's Touya and Touko. Our friends are with us. We came to thank Professor Juniper for the Pokemon." He let go of the button.

The static returned, and the voice spoke again, "Oh, of course! Please, do come in!"

The intercom shut off again and a buzz sounded as the door to the laboratory opened. Touya entered first, followed by his sister and two friends. They entered a room surrounded by steel walls, decorated with paintings of different Pokemon in their natural environments. A flight of stairs was across from the entrance the group had just come through and two electronic sliding doors were on the other walls. Since they had not heard directions to go up the stairs or through the doors, the group meandered through the small room, looking at the pieces of art.

Touko was particularly enraptured by a picture of a ghost-fire type Pokemon that resembled a candle stub. It was surrounded by darkness, but the little creature gave off a bright purple glow that illuminated a sphere of light around itself. While she thought it was adorable, she had never seen or heard of something quite like it.

_Wow...I want to meet THAT Pokemon..._ she thought to herself. Of course, she had to leave town first, since she was sure that nothing like that lived near Nuvema Town. Around here, only Patrats and Lilipups scurried about, with the occasional flock of Pidoves flying overhead.

Touya felt a wave of nostalgia as he gazed at a painting of a Zebstrika galloping through a field of grass. As a child, he always dreamed of riding on one's back. While that fantasy still secretly held true deep within him, Touya realized that he was probably too large for a Zebstrika to carry around. He was well over the height of an average Zebstrika, but he allowed himself to become lost in his memories, a blank look crossing his face.

Cheren was not too interested since he had seen these paintings every time he visited his father at the lab. Belle, however, flitted from painting to painting, gazing in awe at all the different Pokemon that existed. At this moment, steps could he heard coming down the stairs, and all eyes turned to see who the newcomer was.

A beautiful woman in her early thirties descended from the last step. Her pale brown hair was pulled into a loose bun on top of her head, revealing red spherical earrings. She adorned a long white lab coat over her plain white shirt and emerald green skirt.

Her matching emerald eyes twinkled as she addressed the children, "Hello everybody! I see you are enjoying my art gallery. I actually got these from Burgh of Castelia as a gift. He's the gym leader there, but also a famous artist." She chuckled, catching herself. "Oh I'm sorry, I've gone off on a tangent again. Excuse me! Allow me to introduce myself!" She smiled at the four friends. "My name is Professor Juniper, researcher of the origin of Pokemon!" She gave a small bow of her head.

"Nice to see you again, Professor Juniper." Cheren smiled. The children had all met her at some point, so she was no stranger to them.

Professor Juniper chuckled. "It's nice to see all of you again. I assume your day has gone well so far?" Her eyes landed on the Pokemon in each of the teens' arms.

Touko suddenly burst out, "Thank you so much for the Pokemon!"

Professor Juniper turned her attention to the two twins, a smile on her face.

"Well Touko, Touya, happy birthday again! I see you have chosen the twin Oshawott." Juniper tapped her chin thoughtfully. "In fact, it's funny. Touko, you chose the male Oshawott, and Touya, you chose his sister. Quite an intriguing coincidence." She chuckled, patting the heads of the Oshawotts in their arms. "What's more, Belle, your Tepig is male, and Cheren, your Snivy is female."

The two water Pokemon were glad to see a familiar face. Snivy seemed like it could not care less while Tepig was squirming in Belle's hands, no doubt looking for food. He had missed mealtime and was rather hungry now.

Professor Juniper raised her eyebrows, walking around to inspect each Pokemon. In amazement, she asked, "Did you guys already battle with them?"

A collective, unintelligible murmur went through the group, each teenager not sure if they should or should not have.

However, Professor Juniper smiled and held up her hands, "No no, that's not a bad thing. In fact, the Pokemon seem to be getting used to you already! The fact that they allow you to carry them so easily is proof enough. Although..." she stopped in front of Touko's Oshawott. "Your Oshawott seems to be a little uncomfortable. I do hope nothing is wrong." She frowned.

Touko mirrored her frown, holding her Oshawott to face her. "What's wrong?"

The Oshawott was confused. Nothing was wrong, per say. He just had lingering uneasiness about having this girl as his trainer. Not quite sure how to answer her, he shrugged.

Professor Juniper burst into laughter. "Or perhaps he is simply getting used to you." She caught the squirming Tepig in her peripheral vision, and shook her head. "Goodness, someone needs to put some food into that Tepig's belly. Why don't you all come upstairs and I can give your Pokemon some lunch while we chat?" She gestured to the stairs with small grin.

At the mention of lunch, the two Oshawott started to fidget too. Snivy secretly desired food as well, but there was no way she was going to show such a silly weakness. She just nodded curtly to the suggestion.

So the four trainers followed the Professor up the stairs to the main part of her lab. It was far larger than the waiting room and was filled with electronic equipment. Giant monitor screens covered one side of the wall, with information about some Pokemon scrolling down one of them. There was a low table in the center of the room where four food bowls, filled to the brim with Pokemon food, were placed. The Oshawott twins and Tepig leapt out of their trainers' arms, dashing over to their food. Snivy waited patiently for Cheren to place her down on the ground, rather displeased that her trainer had not brought her over to the bowl itself, before strutting slowly to the food bowls.

The four young trainers watched their Pokemon enjoy their meal before Professor Juniper caught their attention again. "Before I continue, I wanted to let you know that you can nickname your Pokemon if you so choose. I'd imagine that you two will start to confuse your Oshawotts if you don't," she directed her last statement at the twins.

Touko stared intently at her Pokemon before smiling triumphantly, declaring, "I shall name you Sir Wotterlot, and you shall be my third bestest friend in the world!"

Sir Wotterlot, as he was now named, directed an incredulous stare, laced with annoyance, at Touko. Perhaps it sounded noble to be called a "Sir," but the name "Wotterlot" was just so ridiculous! What will the females think of him as a Samurott named "Sir Wotterlot?"

Next to him, his sister Oshawott snickered.

Yes, exactly that reaction.

While Touya deliberated a name for his own Oshawott, Belle squealed out, "I'm naming mine Porky!"

Everyone in the room gave Belle an unimpressed glance, and the twins felt a bit guilty for eating bacon this morning...for all they knew, it could have been Tepig meat.

They were all definitely going to need to watch their meat consumption from now on.

Porky blinked and realized he had a new name, but actually rather liked it. It oinked in approval, "Tepig, Tepig!"

Belle furrowed her eyebrows and pouted, wagging her finger. "No no, your name is Porky now! Not Tepig!" Poor Porky became confused. Did he not just agree to his new name?

Cheren adjusted his glasses and sighed. He stuck his hands in his pockets and addressed his Snivy. "Your name will be Eliza. I think it suits you quite well." Snivy blinked, mauling the name over. Not too girly and it sounded solid and strong. She gave a smirk. She approved. Cheren returned a half smile, nodding curtly.

Touya was the last one left without a nickname. His Oshawott looked up at him, waiting patiently. He really did not care for nicknames, but since everyone else had given their Pokemon one, it seemed silly for him not to as well. For Arceus's sake, even Cheren named his Snivy!

Shrugging, he said to his Oshawott. "I suppose I like the name Zula. How about it?"

The female Oshawott thought about it for a second, then nodded, her mouth opened in a happy grin, tiny fangs glinting. Touya could not help but return the smile and give Zula a pat on the head.

Professor Juniper smiled to herself, remembering when she received her first Pokemon, a Minccino, from her father. Knowing she had much to explain, Professor Juniper clapped her hands to get the teenagers' attentions again. "Splendid choice of names! A trainer and Pokemon can become closer from something as simple as a nickname," she chuckled. "In any case, I do not give out my precious Pokemon without asking for something in return."

Confusion settled over the heads of the trainers, wondering what they had to do for Professor Juniper. Pay money? Clean the lab? Raise Pokemon?

"It's simple really," the Professor continued, turning around and walking over to a steel table. On it were four devices, each a different color: green, pink, red, and blue. Professor Juniper picked up the green one and held it up, asking, "Do any of you know what this device is?"

Cheren, finally understanding, smiled knowingly. "That is a Pokedex, Professor."

The Pokemon Professor beamed, "Very good Cheren! You are quite learned about Pokemon, aren't you?" Cheren continued to smile, readjusting his glasses.

Belle, completely confused, whined, "Huh? What's a Pokedex?" Touko nodded slowly, curious as well. Touya waited patiently for Professor to explain.

"For everyone's sake, I shall explain from the beginning. There are over 100 known species of Pokemon living in this region, but combined with those of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, I'd say there are well over 600 species in this world." The teens seemed surprised by this piece of information.

Smiling, Juniper continued. "This device, as Cheren said, is called a Pokedex. It is designed to record down any Pokemon you encounter in the wild! There is a scanner that picks up the DNA signature of nearby Pokemon and logs their personal information into the Pokedex. You see, I do have a database of every Pokemon that is known to exist in the region of Unova, but unfortunately, I do not have detailed information on them, nor do I have time to go out into the field to study them." Professor Juniper rubbed her neck, smiling sheepishly.

"What I'd like you all to do is to go out, travel Unova, and meet every Pokemon there is to meet, and record their data onto this Pokedex. I want to have a full database with all the information of every Pokemon out there. It was your mom's idea to invite your friends along." She addressed the twins. "She thought it was an experience everyone should have. I already spoke with your parents, Cheren, Belle." She nodded to the respective teens as she spoke. "They agreed to let you go on this journey."

She was slow while saying the word "agree." True enough, Cheren's parents were complacent with their child traveling, but the same could not be said of Belle's. However, Professor Juniper continued smiling, asking a final question, "Can you guys do that for me?"

The room fell silent, hearts pounding from fear, anticipation, excitement, and suspense. Belle broke the silence first.

"Travelling? Meeting new Pokemon? Going to different _cities_?" she babbled, wide-eyed.

"I'll go. I've always wanted to be a traveling trainer," Cheren smiled, hands in his blazer pockets.

Touya shrugged, smiling, "If Touko goes, I'll go."

Touko gave him an incredulous look, smirking, "You're kidding right? Miss out on an adventure of the lifetime?" She turned to Professor Juniper, grinning, hands on her hips. "We'll do it, Professor!"

The woman clasped her hands together, beaming. "Splendid!" She turned her attention to Belle, "And what of your answer?"

Belle bit her lip, still deliberating. Touko pouted and turned to her friend. "Come on Belle! You've always talked about going out of Nuvema Town, and seeing the world! Trying new things! Finding your place in life!" she grinned, grabbing Belle's hands. "This is your chance! It's practically smacking you in the face! Take it!"

Belle's uncertainty faded as Touko spoke, and her frown turned into a bursting grin. "You're right, Touko, you're right!" She turned back to Professor Juniper, "I'll join! I'll find every Pokemon for you!"

Professor Juniper laughed, her eyes twinkling. "You four have given me the greatest answer you possibly could have!" She picked up all four Pokedexes and walked back over to the waiting trainers. She gave the green one to Belle, pink to Touko, red to Touya, and blue to Cheren.

When she finished distributing them, she chimed, "There you are! Thank you all so very much! Please go home and pack your belongings. I think it will be a good idea to leave tomorrow. Pack enough for a day's trip. The next town over isn't very far. I've provided a list of essentials for all of you!" She handed the each teen a list before finishing up. "I still have some things to show each of you, but I have some other business to attend to today. So please meet me in front of the exit to Route 1 tomorrow at 9:00 AM. Is that fine?"

Words of approval and agreement rang from the teens' mouths, to which the Professor responded to with another smile. "In that case, Touko, Touya, Cheren, and Belle," she nodded her head in each of their directions as she said their names, "It was a pleasure seeing you today and I must thank you all for agreeing to this request."

"We should be the ones thanking you!" Touko beamed.

"Yeah, I mean, yes, Professor Juniper! Thank you so much!" Belle added.

"Thank you Professor Juniper. We really appreciate it," Touya smiled.

"We are grateful for this spectacular opportunity you are offering us. We sincerely thank you," Cheren finished.

Professor Juniper waved them off, chuckling, "It is no problem at all. Now, I'm a busy woman. And it appears as if your Pokemon are done eating," she gestured to the starters. "You can return them to their Poke balls when you travel, as to not tire them out. Just hold up the Poke ball and ask them to return and they will."

Cheren held up his Poke ball to return Eliza and Touya did the same with Zula. Belle said goodbye to Porky before recalling him and Touko gave Sir Wotterlot a huge grin before calling him back. With the Pokemon returned to their capsules, the four trainers left the lab.

* * *

Belle's house was closest to the lab, so the group took her home first. At her doorstep, she asked her friends, "Can you guys come in with me? I want to show my parents your Pokemon too!" Not one of them could say no to her jubilant, childish grin.

Belle fumbled with her key for a moment before opening the door. "Mama, Papa, I'm home!" she called out excitedly, going towards the living room. As she had expected, her parents were watching the television. Her father seemed irritated, but Belle took no notice. "And guess what? I got a Pokemon today! A Tepig! I named him Porky!" she exclaimed proudly.

Her mother beamed, "That's wonderful, dear!" She went over to her daughter. "Did Professor Juniper give it to you?"

"Mmhm!" Belle agreed happily, before continuing, "And what's more, Professor Juniper had asked us all to go on a journey to complete the Pokedex! Mama, Papa, I'm going on a journey!"

"No."

All heads snapped to source of the voice. Belle's father stood up from his seat on the couch, an intimidating scowl on his face. He looked nothing like his daughter, being a heavy-set man with brown hair and eyes, as compared to Belle's pale blond hair and bright blue eyes. He towered over Belle, staring down at her like a judge in court.

"_No and a thousand times no!_" he growled, crossing his arms. "You most certainly _are not_ ready to go out into the world."

Touya, Touko, and Cheren flinched, feeling the atmosphere turn hostile. Belle placed her hands on her hips, gearing up for a fight. "But Papa, I'm ready for this! I'm already a trainer, with a Pokemon and everything!" she pleaded her case.

"You're not ready to take care of yourself out in the real world! It isn't full of nice people, or cute, harmless, little Pokemon. There's crime and violence, and little girls like you will get hurt!" he roared down at her.

"Honey, everyone goes on their Pokemon journey eventually. Belle is due to have hers now," Belle's mother tried to reason with her husband.

"Yeah, I'm not a little girl anymore, Papa! I want to leave Nuvema, travel, and see the world! I want to find out what path I may want to follow someday!" Belle declared in rebuttal.

"That doesn't mean you need to leave Nuvema or travel! We can send you to a nice university over in Castelia or you can ask the Professor to take you on as an intern here! You can barely use stairs without tripping or falling! You know how clumsy you are!"

Belle could not keep the hurt expression from her face as she argued back, her voice starting to falter. "I can definitely handle myself! If not, I'll learn to! It's not like I'll be alone!"

"Is that so? And who might be going with you?" he scowled.

"I'll be right with her the whole time!" Touko suddenly spoke out, determination in her eyes.

Cheren almost face-palmed.

Touya cast his eyes off to the side.

Belle's father looked at Touko like one would at a madman.

After all, Touko was not exactly the most responsible or mature human being around.

Cheren quickly cut in, saying, "Touya and I will be going along as well, sir. It will be quite alright. Safety in numbers, yes?" he chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood.

Belle's father seemed to reconsider a moment, but decided that two _teenage_ _boys _and a girl with the mannerisms of a 5-year-old were most definitely not the choices of traveling companions he wanted his daughter to have.

"No _is _no. And that is final." He slammed the gavel down. "You may keep your Teepig or whatever, but you may not go on the journey. Do I make myself clear?"

"But Papa..."

"Am I clear?"

Casting her eyes off to the side, she murmured, "He's a Tepig…"

"_Excuse_ me?" Her father growled dangerously.

Belle, seeing she had lost the case, pursed her lips and mumbled, "Understood..."

Her friends stared at her heartbroken figure, feeling pity for the once-bubbly girl. She turned to her friends and said in a shaky voice, "Sorry guys! Looks like I'm not going with you all tomorrow. But it's ok, really..." She turned her head to the side, pulling her beret further down to hide her eyes. "I'll see you off tomorrow morning, ok? I've got some stuff to get done now..."

She turned back to her friends, eyes closed as she smiled, cheeks inflamed. "Bye! Happy birthday again Touko, Touya!" She chirped as chipper as she could. The twins gazed at her sadly, but before Touko could embraced Belle in a tight hug, the blonde had run to the stairs.

She made it to the top without tripping even once.

At the top, Belle turned back to look at her father with an expression of solemn gloating. The twins watched helplessly as she dashed into her room and slammed the door closed.

* * *

The three left Belle's house and walked back to the twins' house quietly. It was early afternoon now. There was still so much daylight left to burn, but everyone's spirits were extinguished. The friends waved goodbye to go their separate ways, going home to pack for the journey to come.

Touko and Touya decided to spend the night on the couches, since their room was still a disaster area. It was a good thing their closet and bathroom was not damaged, since many of their necessities were in there.

They packed in somber silence, still upset for Belle. When they finished, Touko groaned, "This sucks! Touya, can't we do anything?"

Touya said nothing, but Touko caught the bit of sadness in his eyes. "You want her to come as much as I do! Come on, maybe we can convince her dad or something-"

"It's not going to be easy. I don't think her dad is going to let her go willingly." The male twin crossed his arms, sitting down on the couch.

With a pout, Touko sat next to him. "If only we can get his permission."

Touya frowned slightly. "Even sneaking her out would be easier than getting per-"

"That's it! Touya, that's it!" His twin jumped to her feet excitedly. "We'll just sneak her out! It'll be so easy! We can climb up to her balcony like we used to do all the time as kids! We can pack a few extra things for her and buy anything else we need at the next town! We'll be gone before her dad can say a thing!"

Normally, Touya would convince her from doing something so completely irresponsible, but for once, he found himself nodding his head. Wait, he was agreeing?

"Ok awesome! Let's do it! We'll get up really early tomorrow and get Belle outta there before either of her parents notices a thing!

* * *

_September 19, 2010_

The twins rose up early the next day, but skipped their routine morning jog. Instead, they ran to Belle's house and sneaked around to the back to where her window was. Touko scaled the tree in the backyard and hopped onto her friend's balcony, peering into her room.

The curtain was always left open for the teens, since Belle knew they had a tendency to sneak to her house a lot. Today, however, there was no sign of the blonde. Her bed was even neatly made.

In confusion, Touko knocked on the window, only to get no answer. When she did not get any answer from a second knock, she leaned over the balcony, catching her brother's attention.

"She's not in her room!" Touko said as loudly as she dared, a heavy frown on her face.

Touya blinked in surprise, mirroring her frown. He was about to say something when he heard sounds coming from the front. Touko heard as well, eyes widening. She quickly descended to the ground and the two creeped around the corner to see what was happening.

Their blond friend stood on her porch, a large backpack slung over her shoulders. She was hugging her mother for a long time. When they parted, Belle's mother whispered something to her daughter. Belle started to cry at this point and threw her arms around her mother again.

Completely confused, the twins waited a little longer until mother and daughter parted again. Belle wiped the tears from her face, beaming at her mother. This time, Belle started to walk away from the house, waving as she went. The woman waved back, her own tears falling from her eyes.

Once she went back into her house, the twins came out of their hiding place, dashing towards Belle. The girl heard the footsteps and turned around in shock, eyes still stained in tears. Her best friends were definitely not who she was expecting to be running up behind her.

"Touko! Touya!" She gasped, barely having time to open her arms to accept the barreling hug from Touko.

"Belle, oh my god! We tried to come and sneak you out this morning but you weren't in your room and then we heard you and your mom and _what is going on?"_ Touko babbled in rapid fire, shaking the girl before her.

"You…you guys tried to sneak me out?" Belle blinked, a wide grin spreading across her face. This time, she was the one who threw her arms around Touko, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you! But…" She pulled back, a rare devious smile crossing her face. "I already planned my own escape. Well…" She scratched her cheek. "Mama helped me with it. She helped me pack and kept Papa busy so I could sneak out."

"Your mom helped you sneak out?" Touko gaped in incredulity. "Seriously? Dude, Belle, your mom is the coolest mom ever…next to ours of course!" She grinned. "So really, you're going to come with us?"

Belle nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I'm going on the journey with you guys!"

Touya, who had not said a single thing until now, smiled. "That's great, Belle."

Without warning, Belle hugged Touya tightly as well. The male twin allowed a soft smile to cross his face as he returned the hug. Belle let go and hooked an arm around each friend. "Thanks guys! You're truly the bestest friends I could ever ask for!"

The trio went back to the twin's house since there was still time until they were supposed to meet Professor Juniper. To Touko and Touya's surprise, their mother had cooked a large breakfast for them as a good luck wish and farewell gift.

Seeing Belle, the twin's mother smiled. "I have enough breakfast for you as well, Belle! Your mom let me know that I should be expecting you." She winked, which only surprised the teens further.

"Mommy! You're in on this too?" Touko gasped.

Touya only raised his eyebrows. Well this was a surpise…

Their mother only smiled, gesturing to the food. "Better eat now. You don't have too much time left before you leave!"

At 8:45, the teens were done with all preparations and were ready to go. Touko and Touya turned to their mother, their expressions a mix of sadness and excitement.

"Going on your Pokemon journey...I'll miss you two." Their mother smiled sadly.

Touya and Touko immediately hugged their mom, simultaneously saying, "We will miss you too... "

Their mother felt tears spring to her eyes and pulled away. "You two go out and do your best! You'll make me proud, no matter what! Remember, just have fun! And Touya." She turned to her son in a teasing manner. "Take care of your sister."

Touko huffed, "I don't need no babysitter! I'm older than him!"

"Yeah, by two minutes," Touya chuckled.

Their mother laughed before noticing the time. "Dearies, you better get going! It's almost 9:00!"

The family exchanged looks before Touko broke into a wide grin. "Bye Mommy! We'll come back to visit really soon!"

Touya smiled, "Take care of yourself, Mom."

They turned to leave, heading down the dirt path towards Route 1.

"Stay safe! Keep in touch! Take care of each other! I love you!" Their mother called out with a grin.

"We love you too!" The twins shouted, waving. She sadly watched her children run away. To her right, she saw a flock of Pidove fly away into the sky.

She smiled to herself and walked back into the house. Time to clean up the room...

* * *

When the twins arrived at the town's exit, Cheren was already there, and they waved good morning. Cheren returned the greeting, genuinely surprised to see Belle with them. Judging by the devious grins on Belle and Touko's faces, he deduced what had happened and sighed. Hopefully, he would not hear any grief from Belle' father later…

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Touko cheered, starting to step forward.

"Waaait Touko!" Belle whined as she yanked her friend back.

"What?" Touko moaned.

"I was thinking..." she turned to her friends, a smile shining as bright as the sun. "Since this is the first time we have ever set foot out of Nuvema Town, I think we should all take our first step into Route 1 together!"

Everyone smiled and nodded at the suggestion.

"Works for me," Touya agreed.

"I'm fine with it," Cheren smiled.

"Ohhhh that makes sense! Good idea Belle!" Touko grinned.

"Come on!" Belle hooked her arms around Touko and Touya's arms, excitement radiating. "Cheren, you grab Touko's arm!" she giggled mischievously.

Cheren shot her a glare but complied, awkwardly taking Touko's arm in his.

"Ok, on the count of 3, we all step in with our right foot!" Belle chirped.

"Why the right?" Cheren asked.

"Why not?" Touko asked.

"No, just wondering...I mean the left works just as fine..." Cheren defended.

Touya chuckled.

"Come on guys!" Belle whined, before smiling again.

"1..."

Everyone snapped to attention.

"2..."

Everyone lifted their foot.

"3!"

And with that, the four friends set their right foot down on unknown soil, taking the first step of their journey, ready to face whatever awaited them in the outside world.

Together.

* * *

**A/N: And thus begins the journey! I typed this all out on my iTouch, and did ¼ of the proofreading on it. Yes, the reason why I have half-decent grammar is because I proofread. I'm just neurotic like that. If someone else actually proofreads, please let me know! It'd be nice to know there are others like me out there. XD**

**So I decided that Pokemon IS the source of meat in my fanfic…I know it sounds horrible, but people do keep pet chickens and cows and goats and such, but still eat these animals. I won't touch on it very much though, since I don't like the idea of eating Pokemon very much at all. Ugh. Although I fear in chapters, it may become important for meat to appear…**

**Anyways, I didn't have a chance to say so, but I'm sure by now, everyone's heard about Japan. I just wanted to let my readers know (few as they are) that I hope that you will at least keep the country and its people in your prayers, whether you are religious or not. Thanks!**

**I believe the story will be more fun to read starting now. There will be some violence later, but probably not for quite a few chapters. I have to warn you: I'm rather sadistic. I actually live to write violent/sad scenes…whether they are effective in affecting your mood is up to your to decide.**

**Thanks to you guys for reviewing:**

**Kazusa-chanx: Haha I guess you see what I did here now then? Thanks!**

**Sarah ball: Thank you! C: **

**Kitty1872: Aww thank you! Here's another chapter. XD**

**WhiteWolfPrincess95: That's quite a compliment! Thank you! **

**BlueChanXD: Wow, thanks so much! I read some of your fanfics too, and "Pretty as a Doll" made me giggle on all sorts of crazy levels. Amazing work!**

**HokkaidoMaster: Daww thank you so much! I hope to continue to please!**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**~Alexie**


	5. Ch 4: Gotta Try and Catch Em All

_Chapter 4: Gotta Try and Catch 'Em All!_

* * *

_September 19, 2010 _

"Well, that was nice, wasn't it?" Touya commented. Belle grinned over at him, and chirped, "Isn't this so exciting? I wonder what will happen now!"

Touko was about to speak when Cheren chuckled, letting go of her arm, albeit a bit sadly and said, "Yes yes, but come on, the Professor is waiting." He gestured to a woman standing up ahead, a person they all recognized from yesterday.

Professor Juniper smiled at the youth, waving, "Good morning! I trust you all are ready to set out?"

"Yeah! We can't wait!" Touko jumped high into the air, her ponytail bouncing. Professor Juniper laughed, "Well I can see someone is certainly excited, but as I said yesterday, there are still a few things I need to tell you guys. First off." She began, "the Pokedex does not actually automatically record _all _of the information about a Pokemon just from an encounter. To get a full compilation of data, I need the actual Pokemon for my studies. So I'd like to ask you guys to also catch the Pokemon for me as well. Can you do that?"

Belle piped up, "Oh we'd love to Professor! But…how do you catch a Pokemon?" she asked sheepishly.

Cheren readjusted his glasses, offering, "I can show everyone, Professor Juniper. My father has demonstrated it to me many a times."

Professor Juniper chuckled, waving him off. "It's fine Cheren. I want your Pokemon to rest. You might need their assistance on the way to Accumula Town." She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a Poke ball. "My Cinccino will do it. I'll just show you myself!" With a small grin, she threw the Pokeball up into the air and it snapped open, releasing a little gray Pokemon. It adjusted the long tufts of white fluff that were wrapped around its neck. Its huge ears twitched and it swished its fluffy white tail, smiling up at Professor Juniper. The woman returned the smile, bending down to pet her Pokemon on the head. "Good morning Cindy. Are you up for a little battling?"

The Cinccino gazed around Professor's leg, looking at the four teenagers behind her with inquiring eyes. Professor Juniper laughed, shaking her head, "No no, you aren't fighting their Pokemon. You'll be helping me find some Pokemon in the grass over here," she smiled, heading towards a patch of thick, vivid green grass. Cindy went after her, tumbling into the thick greenery.

The crunching sounds of the disturbed grass attracted the attention of a snoozing Patrat. Annoyed that something had disturbed its rest, the brown, chipmunk-like Pokemon growled and shot up from the grass, finding the source of noise to be a woman and a Cinccino.

"Oh my, a Patrat. This will do nicely, assuming it will fight back," Professor Juniper smiled.

The Patrat was not too forgiving of the two intruders and directed its angry red eyes at Minccino. Professor Juniper chuckled, "This one is full of spice. Cindy, Pound it please!"

The gray Chinchilla Pokemon squeaked in acknowledgment and ran quickly at the Patrat. Before the Scout Pokemon could react, it was punched in the face by a powerful paw. It flew back, stumbling to land on its feet. It seemed like the Pound had done a lot of damage, since the Patrat was having a hard time moving. Instead, it Leered at Minccino, its red and yellow striped eyes blazing with resentment. Minccino barely flinched at its angry opponent. Those Patrat could be so touchy after waking up…

"Wear down your opponent first, so that they will have a harder time escaping from a Poke ball! If you don't, they may have the strength to break free of a Poke ball before they are fully captured," Professor explained, while pulling out another capsule. "Once your adversary is weak, go ahead and throw a Poke ball to capture it!" She tossed the Poke ball at the faltering Patrat, and the capsule bounced off the irritated Pokemon's head before sucking it inside with a flash of light. The Poke ball fell into the grass, where it began to shake. Three shakes later, the capsule stopped moving, and a click sounded. At the same time, a small shower of stars flew out of the center button of the Poke ball, signaling a successful capture. Smiling, Professor Juniper walked over and picked up her newly caught Patrat. "And that, is how you catch a Pokemon."

Belle and Touko began to clap like crazy, whereas Touya and Cheren both seemed apathetic to the demonstration. Professor Juniper walked back over, her Cinccino following at her heels. "So there you have it! Weaken your opponent, then capture it! Simple, yes?" she chuckled. "You can easily find Pokemon anywhere: in the grass, in trees, bushes, caves…even water! Pokemon live everywhere. Pokemon are attracted by sounds, so if you make lots of sounds while you walk or run, you may grab the attention of nearby Pokemon. Most of the ones that approach you are probably just curious, but be wary."

She held up a cautionary finger, her smile dropping a bit. "Not all Pokemon are nice and friendly. While some may run away from you, some are very territorial and vicious by nature. If you engage one in a fight, you may not be able to run away from it. So be sure you train your Pokemon to ensure that they can protect you! I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but please seek medical attention if you get hurt by a Pokemon!"

Her warm smiled returned, "As your Pokemon grow stronger, they will evolve into new forms, gaining new powers! But please, do not overwork your Pokemon! They are not tools for your own gain: they're your friends! Your partners! Treat them with respect, and grow alongside them! This is all I ask of you four. So will you do me this favor?" Professor Juniper looked at the teenagers before her.

All four voiced their agreement, and Professor Juniper walked forward, pulling out a bag from her coat. "I have Poke balls for you guys to start out with! By the Pokemon League Standards and Regulations, a trainer can only hold up to six Pokemon at a time, but I'll provide you each with five more Poke balls, just in case. Of course, you can always buy more on your journey, since you will need them!" Professor Juniper handed the trainers the items before withdrawing her hands into her pockets, trying to see if she missed something.

"Oh yes, and if your Pokemon get hurt, you can either use a healing item, such as Potions, on them, or take them to the Pokemon center! I would accompany you to Accumula Town to show you around the Pokemon center there, but I'm really busy."

She thought for a moment, an idea lighting up her eyes. "How about this? Once you get to Accumula Town, look for a large building with a red roof. A white Poke ball design with be on the front of it. It's very hard to miss. Once you go in, go to the counter and speak with the nurse there. I'm sure she will be more than happy to help." She smiled down at the four teenagers, asking, "Alright, that's all I have to say. Any questions?"

Cheren shook his head, more than ready to go on. Touya simply shrugged, no questions coming to his mind. Belle pursed her lips, containing the millions of questions she knew would take too long to answer. Besides, Cheren could probably explain it all to her.

Touko started to shake her head, but suddenly remembered something. "Oh Professor!" she raised her hand high up in the arm, waving it about.

"Yes Touko?" Professor Juniper chuckled, pointing to amuse her.

"You know one of the paintings in your lab? The one with the candle stub Pokemon? The one glowing purple?" she smiled slightly. "What's it called?"

Professor Juniper knew exactly which Pokemon she was speaking of. "That would be a Litwick. Fascinating little creatures. I believe they are of a Ghost-Fire type, found only at the Celestial Tower, near Mistralton City. As far as I know, they will only evolve once, but who knows?" She smiled at Touko, winking. "Perhaps you can help me out by finding one?"

Touko grinned, nodding. "I'll go find that Litwick, don't you worry Professor!"

"Now that's the attitude I like! Now, any more questions, or are you all itching to go now?" Professor Juniper smiled.

After exchanging glances amongst themselves, the four trainers shook their heads. Professor withdrew her right hand, holding it out to Cheren. "Well it was a pleasure seeing you all, Cheren, Touko, Touya, and Belle!" She shook each of their hands in turn, a small grin on her face. "Please contact me if you ever have questions, or just want to show me your Pokedex! I look forward to the data you find, but please, enjoy yourselves! A person's first Pokemon journey should always be the time of their lives!" She bowed her head slightly, starting to walk back to town. "Good bye! And good luck everyone!"

Belle waved, calling out, "Thank you so much Professor!"

All four teenagers waved until the Professor was out of sight, disappearing around the curve of the road that led back to Nuvema Town. They all turned forward, looking across the wide expanse of nature in front of them. It was autumn and red leaves were falling from the trees, gently riding the swirling currents of the wind. It had only just hit them that they were finally starting their journey.

Touko started to run forward, but Touya held her back, sighing, "Touko, we should stick together, just in case. It wouldn't be good if we got lost so early in the game, right?"

His twin pouted, but reluctantly agreed, painstakingly and slowly walking with her friends. Suddenly Cheren stopped, a smile lighting up his face.

"I have an idea. A game, if you may," he smirked.

Everyone was all ears.

"How about we have a contest to see how many Pokemon we can all catch before we get to Accumula Town?" he suggested, smile widening to a grin.

Touko blinked before smirking. "Interesting. I accept this challenge!"

Belle fidgeted with her hat nervously, but the smile on her face told Cheren she was on board.

Touya shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Cheren continued, "It will be good practice, in any case. Accumula Town is quite a distance away. If we follow this path, we will reach it in about three hours. We can take a break in the middle. The rules are simple: catch as many wild Pokemon as you can before we reach Accumula Town. When you see a Pokemon, call it, so that no one else can catch it. Agreed?" he held his hand, balled into a fist, out in front of him.

Touko made a fist and stacked it on top of his, grinning devilishly, "Agreed!"

Touya followed with his own fist, shrugging again. "Sounds fine."

Belle topped off the column, giggling, "Everyone, do your best!"

They all withdrew their fists with a smile and went along their way.

* * *

Fifteen minutes into the trek, and the group had not encountered any Pokemon. Touko was getting tired of watching her surroundings carefully, intending to be the first one to spot a Pokemon. Belle was tottling timidly behind the group, looking around in a daze. Being out of the town was so different…there were so many plants and things in nature she had never seen before! She was so busy looking around that she did not notice the brown lump in front of her.

Everyone turned around as Belle screamed. On reflex, the group turned their eyes downward and as expected, Belle was sprawled on the ground, having tripped on something. However, instead of the usual tree root or rock, she had tripped over….

"Lilli, Lillipup!" A high-pitched bark sounded from beneath Belle. Startled, she rolled off to her side and a tiny brown dog Pokemon was revealed to have been smashed under her. It retreated backwards, still barking, clearly upset with a human tripping over it. Belle stared wide-eyed at its beige face, which, oddly enough, resembled a pie splatter.

Cheren, thinking fast, started to say, "I saw it fi-"

"OH MY GOSH, A LILLIPUP! YOU ARE THE MOST ADORABLE THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!" Belle screamed, cutting Cheren off. She reached for it, but the Lillipup snapped its jaws at her hands, still yapping. "Oh oopsies!" Belle giggled, standing up, a determined smile sweeping across her face. "I saw you first, so I shall catch you!"

"But I called it-"

"Just let it go Cheren," Touya sighed.

Belle reached into her large orange bag and began to rummage through it, searching for her Poke ball. "Where is it…" she mumbled, digging her hand deeper. The Lillipup, however, was becoming impatient and charged right at Belle, aiming a Tackle at her legs.

Luckily, the blonde teenager finally found her Tepig's Poke ball and enlarged it. However, she dropped it, prompting a gasp from her. To her relief, the Poke ball snapped open and Porky appeared in front of her. As usual, Porky seemed totally oblivious to its surroundings. That was, until the Lillipup slammed into him.

Porky rolled backwards, coming to a stop at Belle's feet. "Porky!" she addressed her Tepig with a bright smile. "I want to catch that Lillipup! Can you help me fight it?"

The Tepig, though still confused, did understand what fighting was. He stood back up, flames snorting from his nostrils. "Tepig!" he called out, ready for a command.

"Awesome Porky! Alright, let's start off with a tackle!" Belle yelled with a laugh.

Porky shot forward, charging straight at the Puppy Pokemon. The Lillipup stood its ground and Leered at Porky, a growl escaping its throat. Porky slammed into its opponent's leg, which was more powerful than the Lillipup had expected. It crumpled to the ground with a pained yelp and tried to get back up.

Belle stared at the Puppy Pokemon, feeling very sorry for it. A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Belle! Throw a Poke ball!" Touko screamed out.

"Oh!" Belle gasped, stuffing her hand back in her bag to search for an empty Poke ball. Cheren groaned. While she searched, the Lillipup was still trying to get back up, but the injured leg kept it down.

Belle triumphantly pulled out a Poke ball, an excited grin plastered on her face. "Go go go! Poke ball!" she cheered, tossing it, with surprising accuracy, right at the Lillipup. Everyone held their breath as the Lillipup disappeared inside the capsule, and all eyes were on it as it shook, the Pokemon inside desperately trying to escape.

One…two…three shakes, and the telltale click sounded, followed by a confetti of stars. Belle blinked, grin momentarily disappearing in shock before it returned, bigger than ever. "I…I did it!" she yelped, leaping up into the air. "Oh my goodness, I caught a Pok-" She landed back onto a small rock and fell forward. However, she bounced right back up, running to the Poke ball. Holding it up, she proudly turned to her friends, chirping, "I caught a Lillipup! Guys, I caught my first Pokemon!"

Her contagious happiness spread to Touko, who leapt forward with a squeal and hugged Belle. "Holy crap, congratulations Belle!"

Touya chuckled, smiling, "Good job Belle."

Cheren adjusted his glasses with a small smirk, "Well, what do you know…"

Belle released her newly caught Pokemon and it materialized, slumped on the ground, glaring up at Belle with defiant eyes. It tried to stand up again, but its leg would not allow it. Frowning, she turned to Cheren. "Cheren, do you have any more Potions on you?"

The boy nodded, reached into his bag, pulled out another purple bottle, and handed it to Belle. The Lillipup yelped as Belle held the bottle up to its leg, but she giggled and said, "Shh. It's ok, it's ok! I'm only trying to fix your leg. Just give me a moment!"

She fumbled with the trigger for a moment before spraying its contents on the injured leg. Once she finished, she smiled and placed the bottle on the ground. "Is it better now?"

The Lillipup tried to stand up again and succeeded this time. It turned a circle, surprised. Belle giggled and tried to pick it up. The Lillipup allowed her to do so, giving a happy bark. Delighted that the Lillipup had come to trust her so quickly, Belle giggled, "Oh I'm glad! How about I give you a nickname then?" She started deliberating about a name before realizing that she had no clue what gender her new Pokemon was.

"Hey Cheren? Can you tell whether it's a girl or boy?" she asked sheepishly. Cheren raised his eyebrows, leaning over Belle to get a good look at her Lillipup. Grinning, he confidently remarked, "It's a she."

Nodding, Belle, turned back to her Lillipup, grinning cutely, dimples showing. "In that case, I'll name you Lia! Hi Lia! My name is Belle!"

Lia barked in approval of her new name, panting happily. "Lillipup! Lilli!"

Belle frowned. "No no…Not Lillipup! Your name is Lia…"

* * *

The Poke ball snapped open and sucked in the Patrat. After three shakes, it locked, sending an arrogant smile across Cheren's face. He strolled over to the Pokeball and picked it up. "That's Pokemon number 2," he announced to his resting companions. The group had been walking for an hour and everyone was ready for a quick respite.

Touya watched blankly, not actually caring very much. He had caught a Pokemon as well, a Lillipup, just as Belle had. He had managed to catch it without hurting it terribly and had decided not to heal it as a result. The two Lillipup were currently playing with each other, frolicking through the grass in a speedy game of tag. Belle sat at the riverbank, watching them adoringly, too entranced by her new Pokemon to care about catching another for the contest.

However, Touko had a deep scowl on her face. She had not caught a single Pokemon. In fact, she always had Sir Wotterlot tackle them too much, and the Pokemon would run away in fright. It seemed, with every Pokemon she faced against, Sir Wotterlot's attacks seemed to get stronger. Not to mention her aim was absolutely pathetic. She could never get the Poke ball to hit its target, and when it did, the Pokemon usually broke loose. She had lost one Poke ball this way when a particularly ferocious Patrat actually managed to break the capsule in half as it escaped. She groaned in frustration and fell back onto the grass. She stared up at the passing clouds, emptying her head, but Cheren's smirking face appeared high above hers.

"Jealous are we?" he chuckled.

Touko huffed, glaring at his mocking eyes. "Of you? A boy who can enjoy playing with a calculator for a whole hour? Hardly."

Cheren straightened his body, adjusting his glasses with a smirk. "It was not just any old calculator, silly girl. It had advanced graphing capabilities."

"Wow. Amazing. Incredible. Innovative." Touko droned, waving imaginary flags in her hands. "Kill me now, if you're going to go into a nerd rant about how you're going to marry your calculator, Sofia, someday."

Cheren sighed, crossing his arms. "I'm not marrying Sofia."

"So you admit its name is really Sofia. You are such a nerd," Touko teased, giggling.

Sighing, Cheren stuck his hands inside his aqua blazer's pockets. "Well, if you don't want my help catching a Pokemon then…" He started to walk away. Touko stayed down, puffing out her cheeks. The nerve of that boy!

Sitting up, she turned to her brother. "Maybe you should go help Belle watch over the Lillipups."

Touya raised his eyebrows, replying, "She doesn't seem like she needs hel-"

"She looks like she needs help, so why don't you go and watch over them all Touya?" Touko interrupted, staring at him.

The male twin, taking a hint, chuckled and got up. "Good luck with your Pokemon catching les-"

"Belle needs help. NOW," Touko snapped.

Touya walked over to Belle and sat down next to her as Touko jumped up to chase after Cheren.

She found him reclining under a tree, eyes closed, Eliza sitting next to him. She tiptoed over to him and was about to poke him in the face when he suddenly said, "I know you're there. You're too predictable, Touko."

Touko narrowed her eyes and swiped the glasses off his face. His eyes flying open, he turned his head to glare at the girl, who could have either been smiling or smirking in his blurred world. "Give them back," he sighed, standing up.

"Bet you didn't see that coming huh?" she laughed, backing away. "Teach me how to catch a Pokemon!"

Cheren went after her, reaching for what he presumed to be his glasses. Touko spun to the side, laughing, enjoying her little game very much. "Come on, Cheren! You offered!"

"No I didn't. When did I ever offer?" he frowned, reaching again, only to have Touko twirl out of his reach again.

"_Well if you don't want my help catching a Pokemon then…_" Touko mocked Cheren in a nasally, high pitched voice, dancing away from another one of his attempts to retrieve his glasses.

"But that's not an offer. I don't believe this agreement stands," Cheren responded, pretending to reach for his glasses again. When Touko swerved again, he anticipated her direction and side-stepped to intercept her. Surprised, she turned her back to him to run, but Cheren was too fast. His arms whipped out and encircled her torso, pulling her to him tightly. Touko tried to squirm out of his iron grip, but with no success. Sighing, she cursed under her breath. _Stupid martial artist…_

"Please?" she asked in a small voice, "I…kinda really do need help…" she admitted quietly.

Cheren blinked in surprise before sighing, "Kinda? You failed at least ten times!"

Touko huffed, trying to turn her head to glare at him, but to no avail. "You didn't have to say it like that!" She tried to squirm free again. "Uh…can you let me go now?" she asked timidly.

Cheren only realized now that he had been hugging Touko, awkward of a hug as it was, but did his best not to falter. "Only if you give me back my glasses."

Touko sighed, huffing, "Fine fine. I'll give you back your nerdy spectacles." Satisfied, Cheren let go of his grip, but found himself grabbing her arm. "Just incentive so you don't escape," he said coolly, trying to justify the sudden desire he felt inside.

Rolling her eyes, Touko held up the glasses and shoved them back onto his face. Cheren grunted at the force and let go of her arm to adjust the crooked glasses. With his vision restored, he looked at Touko, who was definitely smiling now. Grinning, in fact.

"Will you teach me now?"

Cheren looked at her happy face. Ok, so he could never resist her pout, and now, he discovered, neither could he resist her grin. "Sure…" he smiled back.

* * *

"You're helping me watch the Lillipups?" Belle's confused voice matching her expression perfectly.

"Yeah…something like that," Touya shrugged, staring at their Pokemon. Silence fell over the two before Belle piped up, "So what did you name your Lillipup?"

Touya thought for a moment, before shaking his head. "I don't think I'm keeping him. I only caught him for the Professor. That way, you don't have to send Lia away."

Belle giggled, poking his arm. "Aw, that's so nice of you! But are you sure you weren't catching him so that you wouldn't be the only one without another Pokemon?" she teased.

Chuckling, Touya responded, "Maybe. And Touko still doesn't have a Pokemon." Belle furrowed her delicate eyebrows and looked back over to where Touko had been sitting. "Is she out there trying to catch another again?" Touya only shrugged at her question.

* * *

"Alright, let's try again…" Cheren sighed. In front of him, a frustrated Touko growled in anger as another Pokemon scurried away. A broken Poke ball laid where it had been a moment ago and Sir Wotterlot's shoulders dropped in exasperation. Eliza let out a snicker, placing her hands on her hips.

"This isn't working at all!" Touko groaned, falling to the ground. Sir Wotterlot plopped down as well, tired from continuously tackling Pokemon. Oh how it wished it had another attack…for Arceus's sake, he was a water Pokemon!

Cheren placed a hand on top of Touko's head, searching for words of encouragement. "You were close that time…"

"Yeah, until it snapped another one of my Poke balls in half." Touko gazed at the remaining eight she had.

Cheren adjusted his glasses, walking around to stand in front of her. "Do you want to try again?"

Touko did not answer at first, staying seated on the grass. Slowly, she got back up, a small fire still burning in her eyes. "Ok, one last try!" she said.

Cheren chuckled, "Alright, that's the spirit!"

Touko immediately ran into the middle of the grass patch, spinning slowly to try and find another Pokemon. Catching one in her sight, she yelled, "Sir Wotterlot! Let's try this one more time! Go and Tackle that Patrat over there!"

Begrudgingly, the Oshawott, ran towards the Scout Pokemon, preparing itself for yet _another_ Tackle…

Hearing something approaching it, the Patrat snapped to attention, seeing an Oshawott charging right at it. It easily sidestepped the Tackle attack and aimed its own attack at the Sea Otter Pokemon. Oshawott cried out in surprise, having been knocked off balance. Man, it was sick of Tackle! Feeling anger well up within him, Sir Wotterlot puffed out his chest and cheeks, feeling the angry force rushing up his body.

Cheren raised his eyebrows. There was no way her Oshawott could use that attack yet! Even his Eliza was not yet at that level!

Sir Wotterlot opened his mouth and a jet of water shot out of it, spraying the surprised Patrat. The force of the water sent it flying quite a distance again before it skidded across the grass. It quickly picked itself up, sook off its wet fur, and turned to run, heading towards the riverbank.

Touko, tired of dealing with escaping Pokemon, gave chase and yelled out, "Hey, get back here you fricking chipmunk!" Having had its spirit returned, Sir Wotterlot ran after his trainer, eager to chase down the runaway Pokemon.

* * *

Touya turned his attention to the river next to him. He shifted his sitting position to get a better look into it. The pristine water was crystal clear, allowing him to see the gravel and rocks at the bottom. It looked very shallow here, perhaps around two or three feet deep, so he didn't notice any Pokemon swimming in it.

Belle also turned her body to look into the water. Her eyes peered down into the depths and she shivered. She stood up, looking away from the water. Touya stood up as well, surprised. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, um, well, it's water." She laughed nervously.

Touya nodded solemnly, remembering Belle's fear of water. Belle had been playing in the harbor one summer with Touko and lost her grip on the tube she was using to stay afloat. Having never learned how to swim, she nearly drowned and refused to get into any body of water, even a kiddie pool, ever again. Unova did not have many waterways anyways, so swimming was not a particularly important skill to have.

"Sir Wotterlot, use that watery attack again!" Touko's voice yelled out, interrupting her brother.

Belle and Touya turned around just in time to see Touko and her Oshawott chasing after a Patrat…a Patrat that was coming right at them.

Sir Wotterlot opened its puffed cheeks out again and another stream of water shot out. The jet hit the Patrat dead on and the poor Pokemon went flying. Unforunately, Belle was right in the way and the Pokemon collided with her, square on the chest. Gasping from the breath knocked out of her, she felt herself falling backwards towards the water and grabbed onto the only thing nearby: Touya.

The two of them, along with the stunned Patrat, crashed into the river, a huge splash of water spraying up. In shock, Touko stopped running for a moment, before rushing towards the river again. "Belle! Touya!" she yelled out.

Cheren saw the scene as well, inwardly groaning. He ran down the hill towards the river. Touko had stopped at the river bed, watching as her brother and best friend surfaced from the water. The frightened Patrat swam to shore, running away at lightning speed, fearing that it would entangle itself in more trouble if it stayed.

Belle was shaking in fright as Touya brought her back to shore, helping the drenched girl out of the river. Belle fell to her knees once she was back on land, shivering.

"Belle, I'm so sorry!" Touko could only babble, trying to dry her friend off by wringing out the water from the clothes that got wet. Touya quickly took off his jacket, which was not terribly wet, and wrapped it over Belle's shoulders. He started to rub her back, concerned the girl would start hyperventilating. The two Lillipups had run over after hearing the commotion and Lia was now whining, concerned about her trainer as well. Cheren had caught up in the meantime, pursing his lips. Touko was still murmuring apologies as Belle regained her composure.

"It's alright Touko…it was just a silly accident," she chuckled, starting to hiccup.

Touko, looking distressed, exclaimed, "No! No it's not! I just had my Pokemon shoot you into a river! Are you ok?" She had been the cause of Belle's fear of water, so her guilt multiplied.

Belle nodded quickly, still shivering. "Yeah…" She turned to Touya, apologizing. "I'm so sorry Touya! I dragged you in with me!"

She started to hand him back his jacket, but he frowned and said, "Go ahead and keep the jacket. I don't need it right now."

Touko continued to mumble apologies, but Belle pouted, declaring, "I'm fine, Touko!" Her voice regained clarity and she tried to laugh. "Come on, we should get going. I think we stalled long enough. Maybe Touya and I can dry up when we get to town!" she chirped.

Touko bit her lip before slowly nodding, quietly recalling her Oshawott. Everyone else followed suit, returning their Pokemon and storing away their Poke balls. The four friends continued silently onwards to Accumula Town, completely forgetting about the competition.

Until they reached town.

Upon entering the town, Cheren adjusted his glasses, smirking, "Because Touko was the only one of us who did not captured a Pokemon, I say she has lost, and must therefore buy us all lunch."

In shock, Touko gaped at him. "I don't have that kind of money!"

Cheren only chuckled, walking into the town. Touya followed, smiling. Belle giggled, pushing an aghast Touko along. "Don't worry Touko! Mama gave me lots of extra money! I'll help pay!"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that was so long. When I planned this out, I had no idea it would end up being THIS long. Nonetheless, I do hope you are enjoying this story. I tossed in a little bit of CheckmateShipping and RebelShipping. For you FerrisWheelShippers out there, yes, there will be moments like that later. And BlueChanXD, YES THERE WILL BE GRANDMASTERSHIPPING. (Love triangle between N, Touko, and Cheren.)**

**My updates will not be as fast now. No daily updates! Next chapter may be up on Wednesday, most likely. I'll be going on a cruise next week, so no updates from March 19-26. Hopefully, I'll be able to write something up during the cruise, and update when I get back!**

**Review please! I'd appreciate it!**

**Ciao!**

**~Alexie**


	6. Ch 5: Spark in the Powder Keg

**Please read first: Ok, there's something I've gotta lay down right now. Much as I love Pokemon, it drives me nuts that the villains are not more evil. Like honestly, what kind of villain steps out of the way if they lose against a teenage girl, especially if it's clear that they far outnumber her? Seriously! Also, the fact that moves like Slash and Scratch don't actually cut Pokemon is ridiculous and makes no sense. I'm actually trying to go for a more realistic approach for this fanfic. So my warning is, yeah, there will be some violence and probably a lot of blood. Yeah, on both humans and Pokemon. Just thought I'd warn the squeamish ones first.**

**Also, whether you like it or not, I will have some instances of character death later.**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

_Chapter 5: Spark in the Powder Keg_

* * *

_September 19, 2010_

As Professor Juniper had predicted, the search for the Pokemon Center was fast and simple. Upon entering the gargantuan building, Cheren walked straight to the counter, where a pink haired nurse was typing on her computer. Seeing Cheren in her peripheral vision, she looked up to welcome her guest, a charming smile on her face.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Center! May I help you?" she asked in a kind voice.

Cheren adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat softly. "Actually, my friends and I are all new trainers." He gestured to his three friends. "Professor Juniper suggested that we make a stop at the Pokemon Center and we are hoping that you can perhaps tell us what kind of services this building will provide?" He mirrored her charming smile.

Giggling, the nurse stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "Certainly! My name is Nurse Peony. It's a pleasure to meet you all!" She held her hand out to shake each teenager's hand in turn. "First and foremost, the Pokemon Center is primarily a Pokemon hospital. Here, your Pokemon can receive the best treatments for fatigue, illnesses, and injuries. How about I restore your Pokemon's health while I show you around the Center?" She offered. "It's completely free!"

Not wanting to turn down such an amazing offer, Touko piped up, "Oh, that would be great!" She handed over Sir Wotterlot's Poke ball with a smile, but the nurse held her hand up.

"Did any of your Pokemon suffer life-threatening injuries, paralysis, or poisoning? If so, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll just take them as they are."

Touko and her friends all shook their heads, and the nurse smiled, holding out four metal trays, one for each of the trainers. The teenagers carefully placed their Poke balls into the slots of the metal tray, designed to fit the monster capsules. "Audino, may you please come out here?" Nurse Peony called out kindly. Within moments, a pink and beige pokemon walked out, pushing a metal cart. It wore a nurse's hat, signifying that it was an employee at the hospital.

Nurse Peony placed the trays of Poke balls on top of the cart, smiling at the Pokemon in front of her. "Audino, can you please take these Pokemon to the healing room? Just a normal health restoration session will suffice!"

Audino nodded to Nurse Peony, turning its kind blue eyes to the four friends. "Audino!" the Pokemon sang, walking away.

Nurse Peony giggled, saying, "That was her way of saying that your Pokemon are in good hands! In any case, let me show you around!" She walked off, gesturing for the friends to follow her.

"I'm assuming you are all new trainers?" The teens nodded to her question and she smiled.

"There are Pokemon Centers in every city of Unova and each building is built exactly the same way, so you won't have to worry about the other buildings being different!" Nurse Peony took them around the center, explaining the different places within the building.

There was a convenience store where trainers could purchase healing items for the road, wild Pokemon repellents, Poke balls, mail cards, little Pokemon toys, and treats. Touko made a note to return later to shop for supplies, assuming she had money left. Just thinking about having to buy everyone lunch made her mourn for her thin wallet. The nurse led them along a well-lit hall that conjoined the Pokemon Center and a hotel built for traveling trainers who needed a place to stay overnight. To the four teenagers' pleasant surprise, the hotel rooms were free for one day and night before fees were charged for the stay.

Inside the hotel, the nurse led the trainers down to the dining room, designed in the structure of a food court. Food of all flavors and types were sold at the various stalls, and to Touko's delight, at relatively cheap prices.

Clapping her hands, the nurse smiled, "That's basically it! I do hope you have a pleasant stay here! Your Pokemon should all be healed in about half an hour, so please return around then! In the meantime, you can get some lunch or perhaps visit the convenience store. I must be getting back now. Good bye!" Nurse Peony bowed.

After the teens thanked the kind nurse for all of her assistance, Touko turned to her friends, grinning. "Come on, let's get lunch here! I'm starving!"

Cheren chuckled, pointing at her, "You're still paying for anything we want to eat."

Touko crossed her arms, scowling. "I'm not going to pay for you if you're planning on pigging out. Each person gets one meal. So pick wisely."

Cheren shrugged, adjusting his glasses and walking towards one stall. Belle ran off, quickly looking over the menu for each stall, trying to figure out what she wanted. Touko and Touya went to the same stall Cheren did, looking at the menu. Cheren waiting patiently until the two twins made their choices before placing their orders. Touko had just enough money to pay for the boys and herself, and cursed under her breath. So early in the journey, and she was already out of money…

Then, she remembered that she had yet to pay for Belle's lunch. Sighing heavily, she glanced around the room while she waited for her food, searching for her bubbly friend. Touko's eyes widened when she spotted Belle sitting alone at a table, stuffing her face full of food. "Looks like I don't have to pay for Belle's food," she laughed, pointing towards their blonde friend.

Cheren scowled, mumbling something about her eating manners. Touya glanced at the blonde before going back to watching the kitchen workers prepare their food. Soon, Cheren, Touya and Touko received their lunch, and proceeded to walk over to the table Belle had reserved for them.

"Guysh, dis foo ish soooo goo!" Belle moaned with a stuffed mouth, resulting in strange stares from her friend. No one bothered to tell the girl to fix her manners, however, and they started on their own lunches.

Cheren took a bite of his sandwich, eyes blinking in surprise. "She's right. How strange. You'd expect public community venues to have relatively bland food." He mauled over the flavor before nodding smartly. "But then again, the economy has been booming lately all over Unova. How else can the Pokemon Center supply free rooms or businesses afford to sell cheap and tasty food? We were certainly lucky in starting our journey at this time." He chuckled, taking another bite.

"It's because of Team Plasma. The government doesn't have to expend so much money on Pokemon related projects. That organization is always providing funds towards Pokemon Centers and financial assistance for trainers' Pokemon," Touya responded, eating his ramen slowly.

Touko nodded, giggling, "Team Plasma is amazing! I wonder why Daddy never seemed to like them…" She trailed off, biting off her noodle.

Touya stopped eating for a moment before replying in a soft voice, "Yeah…"

Cheren and Belle watched the twins timidly. Any time the twins' father was mentioned, the atmosphere always got uncomfortable.

Lunch was finished quickly afterwards and the teenagers carried their trays over to the trash drop-off. They made their way back over to the Pokemon Center, and as they were passing by the convenience store, Touko turned to walk in. "Hang on guys, I want to look around!" she called out to her traveling companions. Cheren stuffed his hands into his blazer pockets, following her. He could use a few more potions. Seeing no point in staying outside, Touya and Belle followed their friends in.

Touko only skimmed over the contents of the store, her focus only on the Poke balls, which were displayed at the counter, locked inside a long glass case. She had no idea that there were different colored Poke balls aside from the standard red and white ones. Seeing a curious customer, the cashier chuckled. "May I help you Miss?"

Touko looked up at the clerk, smiling. "Oh, uh yeah! Why are there other kinds of Poke balls here?"

"Oh! These are stronger Poke ball, but at a higher price. They have a much better catch rate than normal Poke balls do because of the material they are made from. For example." He pointed to a capsule with a bright blue top and two red stripes, explaining, "This is called a Great ball. It has a better chance of catching a stronger wild Pokemon than a standard red Poke ball."

Touko's eyes sparkled in fascination and she asked, "How much is it?"

"P600," he answered with a smile.

Touko gulped. If she bought one, she would barely have any money left. Sighing, she asked, "How much are normal Poke balls?"

"Those are P200 each. If you buy ten, I'll give you a free Premier ball!" the clerk said.

"And what's a Premier ball?"

"Oh, it's like a normal Poke ball, just different in appearance. Think of this offer as…buy ten, get one free!"

Touko pouted. She really only had about P1100 left…but she also only had three Poke balls left and did not have another Pokemon on hand, other than her Oshawott. Although it was a strong shot at her pride to admit it to herself, she knew she was a lousy Pokemon catcher. She needed all the Poke balls she could afford. "Please give me a moment!" She smiled sheepishly, turning around to scan the aisles, before finding the head she was looking for.

"Cheren!" She ran towards him, grabbing his shoulder.

Cheren turned to her, surprised. "Yes Touko?"

"Can I borrow some money, pretty pleeease?" She clapped her hands together, grinning weakly.

Cheren crossed his arms, amused. "Whatever for?"

"Well…I really need some more Poke balls…and I kinda wanted to get a Great ball too…" She bit her lip, waiting for an answer.

Cheren sighed, adjusting his glasses, remaining silent. Touko watched in suspense, her lips turning into a pout. Cheren caught sight of it and quickly closed his eyes. Not the pout…that was what always made him lose these kinds of arguments.

"Please Cheren? Just this once?" Touko begged, still pouting. Cheren flinched, opening his eyes, her pout searing into his eyes. Ah damn it.

"Fine fine!" Cheren growled in defeat, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

Jumping into the air with a squeal, Touko quickly chirped, "I need about P1,500! I promise I'll pay you back somehow!"

Cheren rolled his eyes and pulled out P3,000. "Keep all of it. I have a feeling you'll need some money for later. But please, try not to spend it all at once," he sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes you're as hopeless as Belle."

Touko scowled, punching him lightly in the arm. "Am not! And Belle isn't hopeless! Jerk." She turned to leave before turning back around, smiling, "Thanks though Cheren. You're a great help!"

Slamming down the money, she grinned up at the cashier. "I'd like to buy ten Poke balls and one Great ball please!"

The clerk nodded with a smile, responding, "Certainly Miss! Let me get your items."

* * *

With their supplies restocked, the group headed back to the main room of the Pokemon Center, ready to pick up their Pokemon. Nurse Peony smiled, reaching under her desk to retrieve the Poke balls. "Here you all are! Your Pokemon are completely healed! Please come back if you need more assistance! Remember, it's completely free!" She grinned, bowing her head, suddenly gasping, "Oh yes! I forgot one more thing!"

She gestured to the computer to her right. "See this computer? This is called a PC, with a Pokemon storage system on it, and you can store any unused Pokemon in there, or withdraw stored Pokemon. They will be taken care of in your absense or you can teleport them to another computer with a Pokemon storage system. Professor Juniper has a computer like that, so if you want, you can transfer your Pokemon to her! The other Pokemon Centers, as well as her lab, are preprogrammed locations to send your Pokemon to, so go ahead and use it as you please!" Nurse Peony explained. "You need to create a free Trainer account first in order to use the functions of the computer. You can register right now on the PC if you so wish. To use the storage or transfer system, just place the Poke ball with the Pokemon you are moving into that machine next to the computer, select the action you would like, and voila! You're done!" She finished her explanation with a bright smile.

"Well isn't this convenient." Cheren smiled, walking over to the computer. He expertly registered his personal trainer information and created an account. He pulled out two of his Poke balls, both containing Patrat and stored both into his newly registered storage account. Touya created his account next, sending his Lillipup to the Professor. Belle made one as well, albeit taking much longer than the others. Even though she had her account created, she chose not to store Porky or Lia away, but rather, kept them with her. Touko went last, making the account, despite having no use for it yet. Once everyone was done, the trainers started to head out of the Pokemon Center, waving goodbye to Nurse Peony.

Once outside, Belle released her two Pokemon, smiling at them. "Are you guys feeling much better? How about you walk with me?" She giggled. Lia barked happily while Porky cocked his head, confused as ever.

Touko followed in suit, releasing Sir Wotterlot and picking him up in her arms. The Oshawott squirmed, no doubt displeased with the arrangement. Touya shrugged and released Zula, allowing her to climb on his shoulder. Cheren sighed and released Eliza, who stared up at Cheren, expecting him to raise her up onto his shoulders as well. When he did not, however, she became very incensed with her trainer. The nerve of him, making her walk on the filthy ground like this! Cheren paid no mind to his troubled Pokemon, however, as he was deep in thought.

"Incredible. Free medical treatment for our Pokemon, free hotel rooms, cheap food…even the price of healing items is relatively inexpensive," Cheren mused, hands in his pockets. "I wonder if the prices are this cheap all over Unova?"

Before someone could respond to his comment, a loud yelling cut into the trainers' conversation. "Team Plasma is in town!" The voice belonged to a man dressed in a hooded overall, somewhat resembling a medieval knight's garb. A blue shield was centered on his top, while a black cross was printed on the top of his hood. He was handing out flyers to passersby and as the teens came closer, a small smirk crossed his face. Nonetheless, he handed them a flying, saying, "Team Plasma's Master Ghetsis is giving a speech in the park today. Please attend and listen to his words of wisdom!"

The teens were quite intrigued, knowing this was a great chance to see a celebrity in person. Without another word to the man, they walked away, heading towards the park. The advertiser rolled his eyes, returning to his job.

Cheren, Touko, Touya and Belle found their way to the park, which already had a sizable crowd meandering in front of a raised platform, waiting for the speech to start. Touko glanced around the crowd, having never seen this many people in her life. Even the streets did not have as many people before as they did now. Her eyes caught onto something green in the crowd. Upon closer inspection, she made a face.

_How silly! Someone actually imitated Ghetsis's haircut! What a suck-up!_ she thought, staring at the man's profile. A black and white baseball cap covered his head, covering his eyes, but she could tell from his body shape that he was a male. He was wearing a white long sleeved shirt, a black shirt visible underneath. Scrunched up beige pants clung to his long legs. A small yellow cubical object hung from his beltline by a chain.

Her attention was pulled away from the man when she heard a loud fanfare of trumpets. All eyes turned to the stage as an entourage of people, dressed in identical clothing to the man passing out the flyers, walked onto the stage. The two people at the end were holding blue shield-shaped flags. Cheren raised his eyebrows. "I never did understand those outfits that Team Plasma workers wore…" he sighed, adjusting his glasses before bending down to pick up his Eliza, fearing she would get lost in the crowd.

Touya shrugged, crossing his arms as he watched. Belle scooped up her two Pokemon into her arms, hugging them to her chest.

The man in the center stepped aside, allowing another man behind him to pass through the line to the front. Cheers erupted from the crowd when Ghetsis appeared, donned in an extravagant robe. His face wore a soft expression, a friendly smile plastered on his lips. On the flaps of the robe were two eye-shaped designs. One side of the robe was biege, while the other was a royal blue, but both eyes had red irises. A crown-like garment was draped along his shoulders, and a shield, with the letter P, was on the center of his chest. The unique red-lens monacle on his right eye glistened in the afternoon sun, and Ghetsis raised his arms up into the air to silence the excited crowd.

He stepped up to a podium on the stage and cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming out here on this glorious day. As you all may know, I am Ghetsis, a representative of Team Plasma." He paused to smile as the crowd cheered again. Once they calmed down, he boomed in a powerful voice, "First of all, I just wanted to announce for those of you that are not aware, that a new Pokemon Center has been built at Undella Town. Now resources for trainers and their Pokemon will be provided to them while they vacation at this beautiful beach resort!"

More cheers followed at this. A huge crowd had managed to fit into the park now, every person listening to every word Ghetsis had to say.

"In addition to that, today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokemon liberation!" The man smiled.

Confusion swept through the crowd. All around, people were murmuring in surprise with their companions.

Cheren frowned. This was definitely new. He had figured that Ghetsis would be speaking about another fundraiser to help Pokemon, as Team Plasma usually did. "What do you make of his?" He turned to Touya.

Touya shook his head with a shrug, mild surprise lighting his otherwise expressionless face. "Not sure. I guess we just have to see what he says."

"This is a new campaign by Team Plasma to further Pokemon rights and make people realize the plight that Pokemon face in the hands of humans." Ghetsis took the microphone from the stand and proceeded to walk along the left side of the stage, continuing his speech. "I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokemon are partners that have come together because we want and need each other." He stopped, turning to the crowd. "However…is that really the truth?"

His smile faded, replaced with a small scowl. His free arm raised, palm facing upwards. "Have any of you ever considered, that perhaps, just perhaps, we humans…only ASSUME this to be the truth?" His voice amplified, and he roared, "Pokemon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers! They get pushed around," he spat out the words, "as our "partners" at work!" He walked back to the center of the stage. "Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?" It was almost as if he was demanding an answer from the crowd.

All around, people felt the doubt brought on by Ghetsis's words. One woman had squeaked out in alarm, clutching onto her Poke ball as she chewed on her lip. Another man kept giving sideways glances to his Pokemon while the little girl next to him gasped. However, some faces still showed apathy to his words, and some people were even scoffing and laughing in disbelief.

Ghetsis narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at the sight of a laughing spectator in the front. Nonetheless, he walked to the right now, his voice softening. His smile returned, soft and kind. "Now, ladies and gentlemen. Pokemon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain potential!" His voice began to cresando again, pausing in between phrases and emphasizing certain words. "They are living beings from whom we humans have so much to learn!" He held up this arm again, his charismatic roar returning. "Tell me! What is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokemon?"

Touko heard someone mumble "liberation" next to her and she bit her lip. Doubt swirled within her. Could this Ghetsis be right? She only had her Pokemon for a day and already she was having second thoughts. After all, Professor Juniper had told her that Sir Wotterlot was not extremely pleased with her…maybe…

"Well this is ridiculous!" a voice whispered next to her. Touko turned her head to see her friend Belle, frowning. "I'm pretty sure that my Pokemon don't mind me! I mean, Lia got used to me so fast! She seemed to dislike me at first, but she after I healed her, she trusted me! I'd like to think that I am treating my Pokemon nicely and it's reflecting in the affection they return to me! Besides…" She grinned to herself. "If they don't like me, I'll just show them that I can be someone to be liked!"

Porky, however confused he might have been, still put on the same determined expression Belle had and oinked, "Tepig pig!" In her other arm, Lia yapped happily. Touko could not help but stare at Belle for she had just said. She did not notice that Ghetsis had walked back to the center, finishing up his speech.

"That's right! We must liberate the Pokemon! Then, and truly then, will humans and Pokemon truly be equals!" His smile morphed into a snakey grin, and for a fleeting moment, a flash of insanity crossed his eyes, one that had gone unnoticed by the crowd. "Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring, each one of you, to consider the relationship between human and Pokemon." He paused, staring out into the crowd. His eyes flitted from person to person, catching a glance of the four teenagers.

Ghetsis froze. His mouth went ajar as he stared at the group. The crowd began to murmur again, wondering why the Team Plasma leader had stopped talking. The crowd within his line of vision shifted uncomfortably, wondering why the man was gazing so intently at their area. The twins felt simultaneous chills shooting down their backs and flinched on their spots.

Recomposing himself after a moment, Ghetsis finished his speech, eyes still locked on the teens. "And find…the correct way to proceed."

He set the microphone back into its stand before calmly saying, "We appreciate your attention and consideration, and implore you all to think deeply about this issue. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, and have a nice day." Ghetsis's kind smile returned and his eyes turned back forward. He stepped down from the podium, taking one more glance over at the four teens before walking towards the center of the stage, where his entourage of Team Plasma members had split into a special formation to escort the celebrity offstage. Loud cheers followed his departure, although not as loud as before. After the formal exit, the crowd started to disperse, still utterly confused about the situation.

One young boy yelled out, "Liberate Pokemon? Was he nuts? That's not even possible!" He walked off, huffing. Some other people nodded in agreement, leaving as well. Some stragglers were still deliberating and walked away, staring at their Poke balls, confusion and torment in their eyes.

The four teens were the last ones remaining. Cheren sighed and turned to his friends, hands in his pockets. "Well that was utterly ridiculous. Liberate Pokemon on such a generalization? Proposterous. Honestly, Pokemon and humans coexist in this day and age. To completely separate them is a foolish folly."

Eliza huffed, feeling no need for a human to have to command her. She had agreed with Ghetsis to some degree, but how was she going to get free food and care without her trainer? She was willing to give up some of her pride for basic necessities. Besides, Cheren was not half bad for a human. She was starting to prefer him over Professor Juniper, especially since the woman never really allowed her the thrill of battling.

Touya shrugged, turning his head to look at Zula. "I think there was some truth in it, but I don't think it's necessary to liberate Pokemon. There really is an interconnecting relationship between humans and Pokemon." Zula nodded, a smile on her little face.

Belle chirped, "Right! I mean, as long as the Pokemon love you, that's all that matters, isn't it?" She snuggled her face into her two Pokemon, who gave out happy calls.

Touko was silent though. Hell, even her brother had said something profound against Ghetsis's philosophy, but she still could not shake the feeling that maybe she was not meant to be a trainer. Sure, she loved the idea and had not been short on enthusiasm for her new adventure, yet little details nagged at her: Professor Juniper's comment, her inability to catch a single Pokemon, Sir Wotterlot's subtle discomfort in her presence. Sir Wotterlot could get someone far better than she was: someone more reliable, someone stronger, someone he would like…

She held him in front of her, eyes apprehensive. "Sir Wotterlot, am I a bad trainer to you?" she asked softly, half hoping to get an answer.

Sir Wotterlot was caught in the middle. That was the question that had been playing in his head for the past day. Crazy nut job? Yes. Causes him discomfort? Yes, albeit unintentionally. But bad? Unkind? As terrible as Ghetsis made humans sound? She was definitely not any of those. Slowly, he shook his head, saying, "Osha, Oshawott! Oshawott, wott osha!"

Touko blinked, not understanding his words, but knowing very well what a head shake was. She smiled slightly, asking, "Really?"

Before Sir Wotterlot could answer, a male voice could be heard from behind her.

"Your Pokemon…just now…he was saying…" The voice stopped, not continuing, as if confused as to whether or not he should finish speaking or not.

Touko whipped around, finding herself staring at the green-haired man she had noticed earlier. His face was blank, showing no anger, happiness, confusion, or any sort of emotion. It was not the stoic mask that her brother used to hide his emotions; however, there was nothing behind this man's face: just cold emptiness.

The sudden appearance of this man surprised the teenagers. Cheren furrowed his eyebrows, inquiring, "What do you mean, her Pokemon was talking? That doesn't make any sense. Pokemon cannot talk."

The green-haired man turned his bright blue eyes to Cheren. "Yes, he was talking. How sad…" He glanced around at the other three. "It seems none of you can hear him, or any of your Pokemon, for that matter." He paused, seemingly deliberating something. "Let me introduce myself. My name is N."

Everyone thought that was a strange name for a person to have, but Cheren was first to recover. "My name is Cheren."

"Touya."

"Belle!"

"Touko…"

"We are traveling together to complete the Pokedex for Professor Juniper's research," Cheren explained. "We just started our journey this morning."

"So you're willing to confine a myriad of Pokemon for that, are you not?" N responded, face still emotionless, but his eyes turned to ice. "I'm a trainer as well, but unlike you, I do not keep my Pokemon confined in tiny, suffocating prisons." He gestured to his green-sneakered foot, where a purple cat-like Pokemon with beige patches amongst its royal purple fur sat licking its paw. "This is Purrloin. He is a friend of mine." He looked up at the teens. "I do not keep friends imprisoned in tight spaces or force them to fight."

N managed to say this all without breaking his trance, yet he retained an intense charisma. "Are Pokemon really happy being our fighting tools? Our weapons?" He took a step closer to Touko. Up close, she noticed that he was actually very handsome. His gray-blue eyes, though cold, sparkled brightly, and his green hair was actually not styled the same way as Ghetsis's.

To everyone's shock, N leaned in closer to Touko, staring intently into her eyes, as if trying to find the answer to a puzzle that was troubling him. The girl felt her face grow hot, and held her Oshawott to her chest. N's gaze fell on the squirming Oshawott, and his hand rose towards the Pokemon.

Suddenly, his hand jerked to a stop. For the first time since he started talking, N had a surprised expression on his face, blinking once at the hand that was now tightly grabbing his wrist. Cheren had stepped forward, intercepting N's wrist before he got to Touko and Oshawott. Eyes flashing dangerously, the raven-haired teen quietly asked, "What, may I ask, are you doing?"

Touko took a deep breath, trying to understand what just happened. From what it looked like, N was reaching for her chest.

"Pervert…" she mumbled, face going red.

As if not comprehending the word she spoke, he blinked before saying softly, "I want to hear your Pokemon's voice again."

Cheren only squeezed N's wrist harder, pissed off at the man. N winced when the pressure got too strong and he let out a slightly childish whine. "Oww…"

Suddenly, Cheren gasped, collapsing to the ground. N's Purrloin, noticing his distress, had slashed at Cheren's leg, cutting into skin. He licked the blood off his claws before glaring daggers at the boy, who was clutching onto his wound, hissing.

"Cheren!" Touko gasped, reaching for him, but a hand blocked her way. Infuriated, she turned to N, seeing his face returned to normal. "Ok, what the hell? You just barge into our group, start spouting some shit about being able to talk to Pokemon, and now your Pokemon just attacked my best friend! What the hell do you want?" she demanded.

N blinked, emotion coming back to his face. He furrowed his eyebrows, a small frown appearing on his face. "I just wanted to hear your Pokemon's voice again…"

"You want to hear his voice? Ok, fine!" Touko snapped, setting Sir Wotterlot on the ground. "We'll battle!" She glared at N, fire burning within her. Behind her, Belle and Touya had dropped to the ground to see if they could do something about Cheren's bleeding, but thankfully, small wound.

N walked a distance away and his Purrloin followed. He turned back around and nodded to Touko, but only kept his eyes on the Oshawott. Sir Wotterlot puffed out his chest. There was an unsteady reluctance, however, that no one seemed to notice.

But N did.

Touko called out with the first move, without wasting a beat. "Sir Wotterlot, Water Gun!"

The Oshawott obliged, puffing out his cheeks before letting the jet of water explode from his mouth, streaming towards the Devious Pokemon standing proudly in front of him. The Purrloin did not so much as make a move and N seemed to have no intention of giving an order.

Suddenly, Purrloin gracefully leapt up to dodge the incoming Water Gun, smirking at the surprised Oshawott. It landed nimbly on its violet paws, immediately dashing forward. Neither Touko nor her Pokemon were able to anticipate the speed or movements of the Purrloin and the trainer watched as her Oshawott took the scratch to his face, vicariously feeling his pain. Gritting her teeth, Touko called out, "Try Tackle!"

Sir Wotterlot winced at the throbbing pain on his cheek, but chittered angrily as it charged forward for a tackle. N clasped his hands behind his back, watching the Purrloin with his steely eyes.

Before it could slash its claws again, the Oshawott had managed to slam into the cat-like Pokemon, causing it to screech in shock. It flew back as Sir Wotterlot took a moment to catch his breath. Touko immediately commanded, "Quickly, use Water Gun again!"

The stream of water shot from Sir Wotterlot's mouth again, but Purrloin, thoroughly pissed off, leapt to the side to dodge the attack again, sprinting straight at Sir Wotterlot. The Purrloin stopped a breath away from the Oshawott and sank its piercing claws into his body. Oshawott let out a distressed cry, followed by another yelp as Purrloin's Scratch cut his other cheek. The Scratch cut much deeper this time, blood flowing in small spurts. The Purrloin pulled out its other claw, freeing several tiny streams of blood.

Touko watched on in horror. She did not have the slightest clue that Pokemon battles could get this violent. "S…Stop!" she cried out, running towards her almost fainted Oshawott. The Purrloin, once again, licked its bloody claws before strutting back to N's side, smirking in satisfaction.

N did not give it any words of praise, simply watching the girl trainer pick up her injured Oshawott. He began to walk over, but Touko's head snapped up at the sound of his footsteps, her eyes shaking in fury.

"Don't you dare take another step, you bastard!" She snarled, stumbling up, cradling Sir Wotterlot in her arms. N had a confused frown on his face, much like a child who did not understand why they were being chastised. "You crap out all this bullshit about us treating our Pokemon poorly, so tell me just what the hell you were thinking in trying to kill my Pokemon!" she snapped, still backing away.

"I did not try to kill your Pokemon. I never gave any orders to Purrloin. I left him to choose how he fights. I'm sorry for what happened to your Pokemon, but now you see." He pointed at Sir Wotterlot, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Now you see the true nature of Pokemon battles. It will only become more painful for the Pokemon as they become stronger, when the attacks will actually become deadly. Can you handle this reality? This sick reality that humans put Pokemon through, and all for what? A sport? Some game? A twisted career?" His eyes were betraying every bit of pain he felt for the Pokemon. Although she was still infuriated with the green-haired man before her, Touko felt herself shaking slightly, not from anger, but from fear of his words. Fear that his words were true.

In Touko's arms, Sir Wotterlot whined, "Osha…Oshawott!" N's eyes lit up in surprise, a child-like awe spreading across his face for a split second, but disappearing as fast as it had appeared. He closed his eyes, sighing as he pulled out a small purple Potion from his pocket.

N took another step forward, tossing the bottle towards Cheren. The angered teen caught it expertly, his surprise not replacing the scowl on his face. "Heal your Oshawott. I'll be taking my leave now," N remarked as he turned around, walking away from the group.

"Wait!" Cheren called out. Ignoring the throbbing pain emitting from his wound, he got to his feet, gritting his teeth. "You hurt my friend's Pokemon and now you just have the nerve to walk away?"

N stopped mid step, not turning around as he spoke. "I gave you a Potion. It should be sufficient enough to heal that Oshawott's wounds. Also…" he turned his head to the side, glancing at Touko from the corner of his eye. "That Oshawott…the things he said…truly puzzles me. I never expected to hear a Pokemon say such things." He turned his head back forward, slowly shaking his head. The sun was high overhead cast shadows where N's voluminous hair and hat blocked the raining rays of light, giving the trainer an odd and ominous glow.

He began walking away again, green locks billowing out behind him. The Purrloin pranced alongside his ankle, tail swishing from side to side. "I have to change this world for Pokemon…because they're my friends," he declared. "And I suggest you let me do just that."

With that, N was gone, leaving four stunned teenagers in his wake.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry Sir Wotterlot! I was going to have Touko win at first, but after reading another fanfic's reviews, I suddenly remembered one of the reasons why I decided to write a fanfic in the first place. I really, really dislike Mary Sues and Gary Stus. You know, characters that don't really have much of a personality other than being totally perfect or totally bitchy. I wanted my characters to have interesting(at least, I hope interesting) personalities with a plethora of strengths, and of course, a multitude of weaknesses. I want Touko to develop as a dynamic character, so I decided it would do her good to lose some in the beginning.**

**That being said, if you don't like the way I portrayed N right now, no worries. He's also dynamic. He will change as the story progresses. XD**

**In fact, all the characters will go through development. I'm having trouble trying to write about Touya, but hopefully, I will figure it all out soon. XD**

**Also, I decided to rename the Pokemon nurses. I suggest you keep track of all of the nurses' names. You might find something interesting about them~**

**Cheers!**  
**~Alexie**


	7. Ch 6: The Great Outdoors

_Chapter 6: The Great Outdoors_

* * *

_September 20, 2010_

The piercing ring of an alarm clock broke Touko out of her sleep. She fidgeted under her warm covers, trying to untangle herself. She glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was already 9:00. What a rare occurrence. Usually, she was such an early riser, someone who was up the moment the heavenly sun peeked over the horizon. How unusual it was that she had to be woken up by an alarm clock.

With a glance around her room, all the foul memories from the day before came crashing down on her.

* * *

After N had left, it took the four teens a while to compose themselves. Touko was the first to recover, snatching the potion bottle out of Cheren's hand and immediately spraying the medicine on her Oshawott's wounds. Not waiting to see if the potion healed all the wounds fully, she rushed off to the Pokemon Center without a word. Cheren moved to follow, but the wound on his leg made it painful to walk. He stumbled a bit, but righted himself to follow his distressed friend. Belle and Touya followed timidly, not uttering a word.

When Cheren made it to the Pokemon Center, he saw that Touko had taken a seat on the waiting bench, hat covering her eyes. Cheren walked over and flipped her hat off, hiding it behind him. Touko's head shot up, dull blue eyes scanning over Cheren's complexion, as if she was having difficulty registering who he was. Cheren knew she was not crying, for Touko was the only female he had ever met that had never shed a tear. However, it tore at him how much misery and confusion was radiating from her dull gaze. Her blank eyes shifted down to his leg and she bit her lip. She had not noticed the blood at the time, and suddenly felt guilty for not having shown any concern for him. "Cheren...your leg..."

He stuck his foot out a bit and glanced down, shrugging, "Ah yeah. The bleeding stopped, so it's not a big deal. I'll get it checked later."

Touko kept staring at the wound, shaking her head, "Maybe we should go back home. We might get ourselves into more trouble and our friends and Pokemon will suffer more."

Cheren frowned, stuffing one of his hands into his pockets, still holding Touko's hat in the other. "No way Touko. We've all been waiting a long time for this opportunity. We're not turning back," he firmly stated.

"But I lost...and look what happened to you and to Sir Wotterlot." Her eyes flitted to a space next to his head, avoiding eye contact.

"So you lost one match. Cheer up. It's not like your loss caused my injury. Honestly, that guy's Pokemon was just a lunatic. Don't worry about it," he said to her.

Touko cast her eyes back down, a melancholy smile spreading across her face. "It's not that," she stated with a sigh. At this moment, Belle and Touya had reached the Pokemon Center and were walking over to their friends. Touko took no notice of them, and continued, "I'm thinking maybe Team Plasma is right," she paused, and Cheren's mouth opened slightly in shock. "I'm an awful trainer. I mean, come on. My Pokemon doesn't like me, I can't catch a Pokemon for crap, and I only end up hurting the Pokemon and people around me."

"And how can you make such an assumption based on one loss? Come on Touko, when did you get this defeated over a single loss?" He furrowed his eyebrows in a deep frown.

"But there's a difference this time!" Touko's voice suddenly exploded and she stomped to her feet, hands clutched in fists at her sides. Had he really not seen what she saw? "People fricking got hurt this time! It's not like when I fail a math quiz, or...or lose one of my 50 meter dashes! If I make another mistake here, people and Pokemon will get hurt again!"

Cheren scowled, crossing his arms. "Then train your Pokemon! Make him strong so that he can protect you!" he snapped, surprised and disappointed by Touko's defeated disposition.

"You heard what N said! You saw what happened! You saw how much damage one small Purrloin did! If my Pokemon gets stronger and other Pokemon get stronger, the damage will also get worse! If my Pokemon doesn't have a good trainer, then how the hell is he going to be able to improve and protect me, and himself, at the same time?" she demanded.

"Then get stronger with him!" Cheren roared. Touko flinched, blinking in surprise. Cheren continued, voice calming down slightly, "If you don't want your Oshawott getting hurt again, train him so that he becomes stronger, but you have to be strong too!" He uncrossed his arms and pointed at her. "Pokemon cannot achieve strength if their trainer is not strong!" he scowled. "Professor Juniper said it herself. Grow stronger alongside your Pokemon. You can't keep depending on others all the time! Strength is what matters in this world of Pokemon." Cheren took a deep breath, surprised at his own outburst. He admired the childlike spirit of Touko's, but knew that in the real world, it would be her unraveling.

Touko was struck silent by Cheren's words, as were their other two friends, all of their mouths slightly ajar. A voice called out timidly behind her, "Excuse me, Touko? Your Oshawott is healed now. He has made a full recovery, so battle is permitted." Touko turned around to see Nurse Peony nervously holding Sir Wotterlot's Poke ball.

Touko nodded and quietly went over to retrieve her Pokemon. She mumbled a short thanks to Nurse Peony before leaving the Pokemon Center, completely forgetting about her prized hat. Cheren made no move to follow, roughly shoving his hands back into his pockets, not caring if the hat got smashed. Belle started to go after Touko, but Touya held her wrist and with a shake of his head, indicated to Belle that his sister needed some time alone.

Touko walked back out to the route between her home and Nuvema town. She started back down the path towards home, listening to the wind over the silent path. She had lost track of time and only snapped out of her trance when she heard the bubbling of a river nearby. She had reached the river that Sir Wotterlot had catapulted Belle and subsequently, Touya, into.

The sun was hidden behind a tree, casting a shadow over the area where she stood. She gazed at the dull water, vision becoming unfocused. Team Plasma and Cheren's words echoed in her head simultaneously, muddling her mind with uncertainty and doubt. Eventually, she made her decision, and slowly enlarged her only Poke ball, releasing her Oshawott. Sir Wotterlot materialized in front of the river, chiming happily, without any indication that he had been injured an hour ago.

Touko's sadness dampened his spirits, and he gave her an inquiring look. With a sad smile, she said, "Sir Wotterlot, I know I haven't been a great trainer to you at all. You got hurt because of my weak and poor choices. So..." She licked her dry lips. "I've made my decision." She paused.

The wind blew harshly for a split second, whipping her hair into a frenzy. She reached up to readjust her hat and only found her mass of brown hair. Remembering that Cheren still had her cap, her hands fell to her sides, a sigh escaping her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "But first, I need to know what you are thinking." She bent down to look Sir Wotterlot in the eyes. "Do you want me to continue being your trainer?"

His body screamed no. Sir Wotterlot liked to think of himself as being brave and able to stand a lot of abuse, but he did not want any more pain or failures, even if it was all unintentional. She really drove him nuts with her persistence and enthusiasm, working him until he was tired.

However, something in his heart silenced these complaints. Somewhere in him, he did not want to leave this strange, eccentric girl. It dawned on him that he had faith in her. Her enthusiasm was contagious sometimes. Sure, she was in the very rough, but eventually, diamonds could be found. That was all it took to make his decision.

With a resolute voice, he nodded and chittered, "Oshawott! Osha!"

Touko gave a disbelieving grin. After a few moment, she hopped back up to her feet. The afternoon sun peeked out from behind the trees, its rays of light glimmering against the crystal surface of the river. "In that case, how about some training? I don't want you to get hurt anymore and the only way to keep you safe is to make you stronger. So you game?"

The Oshawott was not sure what "you game" meant, but he nodded nonetheless, putting on his bravest face.

By the time Touko returned, it was already well pass dinnertime and she was starving. She headed to the cafeteria to grab a late meal and some Pokemon food for Sir Wotterlot. The food court was almost empty except for a few trainers, who, like Touko, were out training until nighttime. To her surprise, one of these people was...

"Touya?" she called out in awe, prompting her twin brother to turn his head towards her. His face, as usual, showed little emotion other than his poker face smile. "Figured you'd come here. You would never miss a meal," he commented.

Smirking, Touko walked over, remarking, "Well, yeah. But why wait here?"  
Touya shrugged, holding up a card key. "We rented a room for four. I decided to wait for you, since you didn't have our room number or key."

Touko furrowed her eyebrows, saying, "But...you could have just called me on my cellphone..." She stopped when she saw the look in Touya's eyes. Smiling, she quietly said, "Thanks."

Touya waved her off with a genuine smile. "Go get some dinner before the last stall closes." Before Touko could say something else, he added, "I have Pokemon food for Sir Wotterlot too." Touko rolled her eyes. Guess there were just never any secrets between the two of them.

Once the female trainer and her Pokemon were well fed, the twins returned to their room, walking in quietly. It was close to 11:00 and they did not want to disturb their potentially sleeping friends.

However, as soon as Touko was in view, Belle leapt up from her bed and hugged her friend. "I was so worried Touko! I thought you had gone and left us," she practically bawled.

Touko patted her friend's head, hugging her back. Upon glancing around, she noticed that Cheren was asleep on the top bunk of one of the two beds. She pursed her lips at Belle. "Come on, I'm not that easily defeated! One loss can't keep me down." She smiled, feeling fatigue set in. "Well, I'm exhausted so can I rest? We'll talk tomorrow."

"Oops! Of course Touko!" Belle walked back to her bottom bunk and sat down. "Goodnight you two!" she chirped, crawling under her covers.

The corner of Cheren's mouth turned up as the lights in the room flipped off.

* * *

"Good morning Touko," a voice called out in greeting, snapping Touko out of her thoughts. Recognizing the voice anywhere, Touko shifted her head to the side of her top bunk, looking down at the boy standing beside the bed.

A silent exchange told her that all was forgiven, so she smiled and returned, "Morning, Cheren." The raven-haired boy smirked, adjusting his glasses. "So I was thinking that we'd start heading over to Striaton City today. It's going to take about two or three days and we'll need to camp out if we can't find shelter. You up for it?"

Touko started to descend the ladder, replying, "Of course! What do you take me for?"

Cheren chuckled, putting his hands into his blazer pockets. "I dunno. There's lots of dangerous Pokemon on the road and we may have more battles. Are you sure about this?"

Touko crossed her arms and smirked, "Oh please Cheren, spare me. I'm not a kid anymore!" She grinned at Cheren, who gave a small scoff before smiling back. Touko took a glance around the room, asking, "Wait, where are Belle and Touya?" she asked.

Cheren replied, "They're already awake. They're getting breakfast right now. I stayed behind to wait for you to wake up. We needed to head out early, in any case, so I set the alarm. Come on," he gestured to the door. "Hurry and change. We'll all be down at the food court. But first..." Cheren walked over to his top bunk and snatched something from it. He swiftly spun around and slipped something on top of Touko's head. Knowing what it was, she swiped the object off her head and smiled at Cheren. Her special sports edition cap felt warm back in her hands and she happily placed it back on, even though she had yet to tie her hair up.

Cheren started out the door, but Touko called out to him, "Wait Cheren!"

He turned to her just as she leapt on him, giving him a huge hug. "Thanks Cheren!" she grinned, letting go so he could see her brilliant smile. She then turned him around and shoved him out the door, "Now go! I need to change!" before slamming the door.

Cheren stared at the door, sighing with bright red cheeks. "Silly girl," he mumbled before walking to the food court.

* * *

By 10:00, the group had eaten and packed and was ready to leave. Cheren had bought a large collapsible tent during Touko's absence as well as several thin blankets. Since the blankets were light, every trainer could fold and place it in their traveling pack. However, since the tent was bulky and large, Cheren suggested that every person traded off holding onto the tent, but after a fiasco where Belle nearly dropped the tent into a passing river, she was relieved of tent-carrying duty for the remainder of the journey.

"Wait Cheren, so why are we going to Striaton?" Touko yelled back, walking a distance ahead of her friends.

"Well…" He adjusted his glasses, readying himself. Touko did not slow down, knowing Cheren speaks loudly when he lectures.

"Oh here he goes," Belle giggled, nudging Touya. The male twin chuckled softly, earning a glare from Cheren.

Clearing his throat, Cheren continued, "There's something known as the Gym Leader's Challenge. In eight of the major cities of Unova, there is a special building in each of them, simply known as Gyms. The Gyms are run by very powerful individuals known as Gym Leaders. Many Trainers travel all over Unova just to challenge these Gyms, whether it is to better one's skill or to collect Gym Badges. Now Gym Badges are re-"

"Wait, Gyms? Gym Leaders? Gym Badges? The Gym Leader's Challenge? How unoriginal at these people? They just slap on some words after 'Gym' for all of their names!" Touko commented, hopping on one foot.

Though irritated by Touko's interruption, Cheren continued on with his explanation. "Gym Badges are required to enter Victory Road." Touko started to laugh and Cheren ignored her again. "Victory Road is the path leading up to where four very powerful trainers reside. They are known as the Elite Four. Victory Road is a tough test of strength and endurance. It's a maze of caves full of very powerful Pokemon and dangerous traps, and I heard some trainers take up to two months to clear it." Cheren paused, feeling very excited as he envisioned his journey through the Gyms, Victory Road, the Elite Four, and finally...

"Oh yeah, I've heard about the Elite Four!" Touko chirped.

Touya counted off on his fingers, "There's Shantul, the Ghost-type user. Grimsley, the Dark-type user. Marshal, the Fighting-type Trainer..."

"Oh oh, and Miss Caitlin! She trains Psychic-types!" Belle finished.

"Wait, so why is Victory Road so hard to clear? How can a person survive in caves for months? Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Touko questioned.

Cheren's daydreaming was shattered by his friends' conversation and he sighed heavily. "That's because they want only the strongest of the strong to challenge the Elite Four. They want trainers who can take care of themselves. I heard to survive, trainers would kill cave Pokemon to eat, which isn't against the rules. I heard there are some plants in the caves, but not all of them are edible. Of course, they implemented a system where trainers walk around with a button that they can press if an emergency arises so that they will be rescued. But by pressing it, they forfeit their quest to clear Victory Road."

Touko was listening intently, so Cheren continued. "Taking on the Elite Four is no light matter. They are the first line of defense when any major conflicts arise. If a trainer manages to beat the Elite Four, there is still one more person they must face. This person holds the highest position and esteem over all Unovan Trainers and is the one who trains and raises only the most powerful Pokemon!"

Cheren's excitement returned as he finished, "That person is known as the Champion! He even holds some power in the government. Along with the Elite Four, he protects Unova from oncoming disasters. If a trainer somehow manages to defeat him, they can become the new Champion. And that is the person-" Cheren adjusted his glasses smartly. "-I intend to be."

Silence fell for a moment before Touko spoke up again. "Wait, so what does this have to do with Striaton?"

"There's a Gym in Striaton City. I want to challenge it and it's the next closest town or city. It seemed like a good place to start," Cheren explained, exasperated that no one else had anything to say about his dream.

Belle mused, "Oh becoming strong, independent, and respected! That sounds really nice..." she trailed off, frowning slightly. "But our Pokemon are all still babies. They barely know any attacks, other than Sir Wotterlot, who knows Water Gun. Even Zula doesn't know it yet!" She looked at Touya, who shrugged indifferently.

Cheren stuck his hands into his pockets, yawning slightly. "Well, their attacks aren't fully matured yet, that's all. Sir Wotterlot's got more battle experience, since Touko failed in catching Pokemon so many times, so he just found his inner powers sooner than the others."

Touko rolled her eyes and turned around to kick some dirt at Cheren, but the dustcloud spread to her other two companions, effectively getting dust all over Cheren and Touya's dark pants. Touya said nothing as Cheren sighed, mumbling something about Touko's maturity level. Belle's white dress seemed unaffected, and she did not seem to care much. Touko turned back around as Belle opened her mouth to speak.

"Wait, Oshawotts learn Water Gun, so what will Porky learn?" she inquired.

After a quiet moment, Cheren answered. "I believe it is known as Ember. It's a bit like a barrage of fireballs," he explained. "You probably noticed how Porky," he paused at the name, grimacing slightly at the ridiculous sound of it, "Constantly blows fire from his nose? It's just a sign that he has an inner fire developed, but is not quite powerful enough to create an attack."

Clapping, Belle giggled, "Oh goody! I can't wait! This is so exciting!"

Cheren smiled, adding, "Eliza will learn Vine Whip. I am certainly looking forward to that."

Touko was feeling excited by the prospect of a battle, and quickened her pace. "Come on, let's get to Striaton! I want to challenge this gym too!"

"Really Touko?" Cheren raised his eyebrows, "You sure?"

"Oh, I want to as well! But...I'll need to train lots!" Belle chirped.

Touya shrugged again, commenting, "I might as well try, if everyone else is."

Sighing, the raven-haired boy adjusted his bifocals. "So that would make us all rivals, would it not?"

"Nah, we'll just be going after the same thing is all!" Touko grinned, turning to her friends and walking backwards.

"That's the same thing as a rival, Touko..."

"Is it?"

Cheren sighed.

* * *

The traveling trainers took a break every few hours, much to Belle's relief. Around mid-afternoon, the trainers spotted a boy wearing an orange sports jersey and baggy blue shorts. Approaching the boy, they noticed that he was yelling commands at a Lillipup that was continuously ramming itself into a tree. Each time its body slammed into the trunk, a sickening crunch of the aching wood resonated through the area.

Belle was horrified by this display, and started to run towards the boy. "Ah! What are you doing to that poor Lillipup?" Belle exclaimed, catching the boy's attention.

His head whipped around just as Belle tripped over a root of another tree, sprawling to the ground. The Lillipup stopped slamming into the tree, and stumbled around to look at the newcomers. It appeared exhausted and its eyes conveyed a look of dulled determination. Blood matted small parts of its fur and the Lillipup quickly scratched one of its sores, whining softly.

Paying no attention to his Pokemon, the youth smirked, "Why does it matter? I'm training it to have a powerful tackle like none other! What would you know about it?" He crossed his arms, staring down at Belle.

Belle puffed out her cheeks, rose to her feet carefully and countered. "But look at the poor thing! It's hurt and exhausted! You shouldn't wear out your friend like that! I most certainly do not train my Lillipup in such cruel ways!" Even though it was clear that Belle was older, her petite figure was about the same height as the boy and sparkling blue eyes met mocking gray ones in a blaze of anger.

The boy scowled at Belle's chastising. "Spoken like a true airheaded blonde. What's your name, Blondie?"

Touko snarled at the degrading statement he made. Touya uttered a small noise of irritation in his throat, and Cheren narrowed his eyes. Belle, fully understanding the derogatory remark, huffed, "I'm Belle of Nuvema Town! And I do not appreciate the rude comment you just made!"

Suddenly, the boy pointed dramatically at Belle, startling her, and shouted, "My name is Joey of Accumula Town! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle, my Lillipup against yours! I'll show you just how stupid you really are!"

The four teens stared in mild shock for a moment before Cheren finally understood the situation. Sighing, he patted Belle's shoulder, explaining, "You have battle, Belle. In the trainer world, you have to accept the challenge of another trainer if you meet eyes." He glared at the youngster, adding, "Especially if you have your pride on the line."

Belle jumped, looking helplessly at her friends. "B...but I don't want to fight!" She glanced at her friend Touko, hoping for some salvation, but the twin seemed more fired up than anyone. More than anything, she wanted to see Belle kick that brat's ass.

"Oh Belle, don't worry! You'll beat that little kid any day!" Touko cheered. Touya nodded slowly, staring at his frightened friend.

Belle started to whine, "But I don't want Lia getting hur..."

"Oi! Blondie, are you fricking deaf too? Let's battle already!" He turned his blue baseball cap backwards and smirked, "Can't defend your beliefs?"

Belle crossed her arms, spinning around on her feet unsteadily, huffing, "Listen to yourself! How does engaging in a violent battle prove my ideals?"

The youngster's face fell for a moment before he scowled, "Exactly! You can't expect your Pokemon to get stronger without battling with them! See, you are stupid!"

Touko opened her mouth to retort to his increasingly infuriating comments, but to everyone's surprise, it was Touya who stood forward.

"I suggest you keep your snide slurs from the affairs of a Pokemon battle. If you insist on keeping them up, then the truly foolish one would be you, for dropping irrelevant insults where they are not welcome." Touya's poker face never lifted, although his smile was gone. Only Touko was able to distinguish the coldness and anger in his voice, however small it was.

Everyone was struck silent for a moment before Joey rolled his eyes, wiping his nose with the length of his forearm. "Whatever. You ain't the boss of me. Let's just get it on! Lillipup!"

The Puppy Pokemon barked and ran in front of Joey, readying itself for battle. Belle huffed and reached into her bag, beginning the search for her Poke balls.

Joey watched in shock before bursting out into laughter. "What the hell? You lost your Pokemon? What a joke! Watch, you'll probably pull out an empty Poke ball. Bravo, bimbo!"

Belle let out a small snarl before triumphantly pulling out a slightly scratched Poke ball, weathered from being inside her stuffed bag. With the usual cracking sound, the Poke ball snapped opened, materializing Lia in a flash of light. Lia barked and wagged her tail happily at the release. She immediately snapped to attention upon seeing the other Lillipup in front of her.

Joey sneered, "See, your Lillipup isn't a blonde. It actually knows what it's doing!"

Touko growled furiously at Joey. He still did not stop his crude jokes even after Touya told him off. "The hell is your problem, always spewing that shit?" she shouted at the boy. He grimaced, deliberately ignoring Touko.

Belle was strangely calm, waiting patiently. However, her eyes were shielded by her puffy green hat, and Cheren felt a pang of pity for the girl. Even on the road, she still faced insults and degradation. But when she looked up, her eyes were fiery with determination, although fear lingered at the edges.

Joey gave a curt laugh. "I'll give you the first move, so you can have all the time your slow brain needs."

"Heal your Lullipup first! I don't want to fight an injured Pokemon! It's not fair!" Belle demanded, a pout on her face.

Joey looked incredulously at the girl before him and replied, "Whatever the hell for? My Pokemon isn't weak like yours! It'll be just fine!" Lia took offense to his comment and barked in irritation. Joey's Lillipup tried to stand proud, but sagged a little under its fatigue.

Belle did not respond to him, sighing heavily, pity in her heart. She turned to Lia. "Ok Lia, this is your first fight! Make Mommy proud!" she cheered, holding her arm out. "Start with a Tackle!"

Joey smirked, muttering, "Juvenile move," before shouting, "Show them _your_ Tackle!"

The Lillipups barked in acknowledgment before charging straight at each other. Although Joey's Pokemon was limping slightly, it became painfully obvious how powerful it was when the Puppy Pokemon collided.

Lia did not stand a chance. Joey's Lillipup did not even wince when its head collided with hers. Lia yelped out in pain as she flew back, rolling rapidly across the ground before skidding to a stop, whipping up a small dust cloud. She slowly planted a paw to stand, legs wobbling. Joey did not give her time to recover.

"Go, Tackle again!" He shouted and his Lillipup obliged. Poor Lia felt another crushing blow to her head before she flew back, crashing through a large bush.

"Lia!" Belle screamed, rushing to find her Pokemon. Joey watched her go, laughing madly, "See! Told ya, bimbo!"

Belle ignored him, falling to her knees and diving into the bush. Half a minute later, she emerged, holding an unconscious Lia. Both Trainer and Pokemon had faces that were contorted into masks of pain. Leaves were stuck in Belle's hair and clothes, but all of her focus was on the suffering Pokemon in her arms. Belle's friends had surrounded her immediately and Cheren was already pulling out a potion bottle. Joey only watched with a sneer, amused by the display.

"Weak. All of you. You'll never make it in the Gym Leaders' Challenge! Assuming you guys actually had to guts to consider something like that in the first place!" he smirked arrogantly. "I'm going to conquer the Eight Gyms of Unova, and then the Elite Four and Champion!"

Cheren scowled, "You won't with that kind of attitude. Strength is important, but a person as cruel as you will never be truly strong."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Guess I'm done here. Lillipup!" The tired Puppy Pokemon snapped to attention. "Let's go polish your Tackle more!" The teens could see the Lillipup sag more, and biting her lip, Belle suddenly handed her injured Lia to Touko and stood up.

She tugged her beret down a moment, hiding her eyes, before adjusting it and looking back up. She glared softly at Joey and announced. "I wish to continue this fight!"

Everyone was silent, shocked at Belle's words. Touko felt a strong surge of pride for her friend. Belle had more resolve than she did, and made the decision that took her hours to come to. Touko even felt a pang of envy, but her pride in Belle well overpowered it.

Scoffing, Joey wrinkled his nose. "Your little retarded pup is down for the count."

Belle narrowed her eyes, "Don't you dare insult Lia!" She reached into her bag and pulled out another Poke ball. "I have one more Pokemon. And I know he will win!" she declared, a bright flame igniting in her voice.

Joey scowled, rolling his eyes. "Fine. I'll just prove you wrong again. Go!" he pointed at his Lillipup. The Puppy Pokemon whined softly before walking in front of him, readying himself for battle.

Belle threw out her other Poke ball, quietly telling the Lillipup, "I'm sorry."

Porky popped out of his Poke ball and small flames exploded from his nostrils again. As usual, he was confused by his surroundings, but Belle came to the rescue. "Porky! We have a battle right now! Your opponent..." she bit her lip, "...is weak right now, but they're powerful. I believe in you!"

Joey roared, "What's that, you bitch? Calling my Pokemon wea-"

"Porky, Tackle!" Belle yelled.

Porky oinked curtly and rushed at the Lillipup. Its fatigue finally caught up with it, and it could not dodge the Tackle. It shot a few feet away, skidding across the grass. It showed resilience, getting back to its feet almost immediately. Joey, thoroughly pissed now, yelled, "Stupid thing! Hurry and Tackle!"

The Lillipup slowly started to stumble towards Porky. This only angered Joey further, who continued to yell insulting remarks at his Pokemon, demanding it to speed up.

Belle became increasingly frustrated, her inner fire growing and she yelled, "Porky! One more Tackle!"

Running forward as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, the Fire Pig prepared himself for another attack. Joey smirked, shouting, "Attack combo 3!"

Belle flinched in surprise, mouthing, "What?"

The Lillipup stopped his advance and waited for the Tepig to reach it. Once within range, the Lillipup waited for the next command. "Bite now!" Joey roared, a malicious grin on his face.

The Lillipup's jaws snapped down on Porky, causing the fire Pokemom to squeal in shock. The bite did not break skin, much to Belle's relief. However, the Lillipup was not done yet.

"Now Tackle him into the ground!" Joey commanded. The Lillipup bit down harder, preparing to leap into the air. However, it suddenly collapsed on the ground, finally too tired to continue. Its jaws opened, freeing the Tepig.

Joey howled in frustration and Belle frowned at her empty victory. The poor Lillipup was worked until it had absolutely no strength left.

Joey pulled out a Poke ball and returned the Lillipup, scowling. "I'll need to retrain that one again. I'm not done either! See if your Tepig can stand up against my Patrats!" The youngster tossed out two Pokemon at the same time, both opening to release a pair of Patrats. The two Scout Pokemon moved in synchronicity, both turning their gazes towards Porky simultaneously.

Touko's mouth opened in shock and she yelled, "Two against one? That's not fair!"

Joey crossed his arms and scowled. "I don't see a problem. And besides, dumb Blondie here wouldn't have a problem anyways, would she?"

The fire within Belle was blazing and she huffed at the boy. "So be it!" she yelled. She looked at her Tepig, "Alright Porky! Good job last time! Let's keep it up!" She pumped her fist in the air. "Start with Tail Whip, but don't turn around this time! Get their guard down!"

Porky arched his back, raising his tail up high and swishes it playfully to and fro. The Patrats followed the pink orb at the end of the Tepig's tail, a bit entranced by its bobbing movements.

Irritated, Joey snapped, "Quit spacing out! Double Bite!"

Cheren furrowed his eyebrows. Double Bite was not a Pokemon attack as far as he knew. But as the Patrats closed in on Porky, it became clear what was going to happen.

The Patrats both clamped their jaws down on Porky, one on his head and the other on his bottom. Unlike the fatigued Lillipup, however, their bites were far stronger than their barks. Their razor sharp bicuspids drew blood, the sharp jutting pain sending the Tepig into a frenzy. Belle jumped, shaking a bit. "Porky!"

"Porky, oh Porky!" Joey cried in a mocking voice, doing a crude imitation of Belle's voice. His voice went back to normal, "Sheesh, what is he, bacon? Guess you're more of a pig than he is," he turned to his Pokemon and ordered, "Tackle him back!"

The Patrats let go of Porky, simultaneously Tackling him back into Belle's legs. She fell over with a cry of surprise, landing on her lower back. Another gasp of pain escaped her and her friends instantly ran to her side. Porky had gotten back to his feet and was also seeing if his Trainer was alright. Touko quickly asked, "Belle are you alright?"

The clumsy girl winced, slowly getting back up. More than any other injury she had ever sustained, her hurt tailbone throbbed, making it difficult for her to stand straight. Cheren pursed his lips in anger, not saying a word. Touya's poker face's slipped into a heavy frown while Touko made no effort to hide her outrage.

"Bastard! Why did you hurt Belle?" she screamed.

Joey grimaced, "What the hell are you talking about? I didn't hurt her. Her own Pokemon did."

That much was true, but no one felt like admitting to his logic. Touko looked like she was ready to maul down Joey any second, but Touya placed a cautionary hand on her shoulder.

Hunched over slightly, Belle sucked in a deep breath before looking down at her worried Porky. "Porky, ready to continue?" Belle asked, offering her Pokemon a grin of encouragement. Despite bleeding from several wounds, Porky oinked, spinning around on its feet. Flames exploded from his nostrils, searing the top of a small patch of grass. Belle's fire never once extinguished during the battle, now burning brighter than ever after seeing Porky's flames. "Porky! I know you can do it now! Go, use Ember!"

Taking in a large breath, Porky reared back and released its now matured flame attack. The flames seared forward in speeding fireballs, finding their targets. The Patrats cried out when the attack charred their body. The smell of burnt fur spread through the air, and Belle felt guilty for causing pain to another Pokemon. But if Joey was right about anything, it was that Pokemon cannot grow stronger unless they fight. The double edged sword was painful for her, but Belle could not help but feel a swell of pride for her little Porky.

The Patrats were weakened considerably, but Porky's wounds were beginning to slow him down. Handling two Pokemon at once was too much for him and Joey decided to finish up the fight. "Attack combo 5!" he ordered, watching with a smirk. His Pokemon dashed to opposite sides of Porky.

"Be ready to dodge!" Belle yelled, watching the Patrats closely. The Scout Pokemon Leered at Porky, causing him to cower slightly. As they approached him from opposite sides, he retreated backwards, although they still stalked towards him. Belle furrowed her thin eyebrows, "Porky! Stand your ground! Don't run!"

Hesitantly, the Tepig stopped, standing strong in wait. Suddenly, the Patrat took off in a mad dash, not revealing their next course of action. Seeing the chance for an escape, Belle ordered, "Porky, jump away!"

Porky oinked and leapt forward, high into the air. For a moment, it seemed like he was home-free, but Joey started to laugh, wiping his nose with his forearm again. "Gotcha, dumbass!"

The Patrats leapt into air, having seen the evasion coming, and Porky found himself surrounded by his opponents. He barely had time to collect his bearings when one Patrat sank its teeth into Porky's head again, gripping the squirming Tepig in its mouth. It landed on its feet, still biting down on a squealing Porky, and with one mighty heave, tossed him into the air. The teeth ripped across Porky's head, cutting a deep gash. The other Patrat had leapt up and when Porky came soaring through the air, the Patrat was ready for his attack. It slammed into Porky with a strong Tackle, allowing the combined force of the attack and gravity to send the Tepig careening into the ground.

A thud resounded from the impact and Belle rushed out to beloved starter. Touko watched in pity, knowing exactly how she felt. Joey was laughing again, calling his Patrats back. "Crazy blonde, thinking you can beat me at a disadvantage. Two vs one? Dream on!" He howled in laughter.

Belle picked up Porky, who was battered and unconscious and walked back, still hunched over, to her friends. Her hat was covering her eyes again and sniffs could be heard. Joey only rolled his eyes, turning at his heels. "Well whatever. That was a nice warm up! Alright!" He cracked his knuckles, "Back to more training! Oh yeah!" He turned back to the teens, walking over. "Pay up. When a Trainer loses a battle, the loser pays the winner!" He began to grin, holding out his hand.

Belle did not respond, only tugging at Cheren's blazer, indicating she wanted a potion. Joey sneered, leaning in. "Oy! Deaf Blondie! I said, give me money!" He reached for her, but his hand was smacked away violently.

Joey gasped in pain, nursing his sore wrist. "Arceus, what the hell?" He snapped at Touya, whose hand was still held out from slapping Joey's arm away.

Touya glared hard at the boy. "Just making sure you wouldn't do something stupid, since you seem to have quite the track record for that."

Joey sneered at the twin, "Well she still owes me money. Rules are rules."

Touko stepped forward, a sly smile spreading across her face. "How about this?" she held out a Poke ball. "This is my only Pokemon. Let's make a deal. Two versus one again, but I'll win in two moves or less. If I win, you pay me and get the hell out of our faces. It you win, we will both pay you. Got it?"

Joey smirked, crossing his arms. "Agreed. But it's your funeral! You two!" he pointed at his Patrat. "Battle again!"

Grimacing, Touko tossed out her Poke ball, prompting her Oshawott to emerge. Cheren was watching closely, eager to see what Touko had done.

"Alright, this is important, so listen up!" She bent down to her Pokemon. "Sir Wotterlot, you have to finish this in two moves. I know you can easily take them, so be awesome, alright?" She whispered, grinning at her Pokemon. Sir Wotterlot chimed his agreement, thumping his chest proudly. He turned back, ready for his opponents.

Joey ordered confidently, "Attack combo 5 again!" As before, the Patrats began to Leer, closing in on the Oshawott, but the Sea Otter Pokemon stood strong and stalwart. When the Patrat were close, Touko yelled, "Side step charge!" A small smile tugged at her lips.

Sir Wotterlot rushed towards the Patrat and one of them opened its jaws, ready to clamp down on the Oshawott. Touko simply watched, grinning when Sir Wotterlot zipped to the side, surprising both Patrats. "Tackle them together!" Touko shouted before Joey caught onto the situation. With one swift move, the Oshawott sent one Patrat flying into another and the two careened across the grass, air knocked out of them.

Touko cheered, "That was one move!"

Joey finally snapped out of his surprise and screamed, "Idiots, get up and doub-"

"Water gun, quickly!" The female Trainer exclaimed, interrupting Joey. The powerful stream of water shot into the Patrats, sending them barreling into the nearby shrubbery. One of them slammed into a boulder, crumpling to the ground. The other never emerged from the bush it shot into. Silence filled the air before Touko giggled, "And...that was two!"

Joey blinked before screaming, "What the hell!" He pulled out two Poke balls and returned his Pokemon, not bothering to check their conditions.

"Pay up Joey," Touko chirped in a sing-songy voice. The youngster scowled and mumbled something before walking over, slapping 50P into her outstretched palm. He stalked away without another word, kicking up the dirt in anger.

Suddenly, he turned around and yelled, "You were lucky, cheater! You caught my Patrat weak. They were half-dead when you fought them!" He ran away.

Touko was actually surprised that he paid. She figured that he would run off, but then again, 50P was not much money to begin with. Not even enough for a bottle of water.

Sighing, she hopped back over to her companions. Belle's face was glowing now and she held a sleeping Porky in her arms, whose wounds had closed. "Touko! You were amazing! Was that what you were doing yesterday? Developing and training your Oshawott?" She beamed.

Touko laughed, saying, "Uh huh! I was training on the wild Pokemon near Accumula! You wouldn't believe how many of them actually ganged up on us! They all used similar attack patterns, so I found that the side step charge worked really well. I'm surprised it worked in this situation, to be honest!" Touko laughed, stopping herself, "Oh but Belle, are you ok now? How is Porky? And Lia?" Her smile fell slightly.

Belle nodded, smiling. "I'm fine! They're fine! I healed my Pokemon and my back isn't hurting anymore! It's fine now!" She returned Porky to the safety of his Poke ball and tucked him back into her bag. "That was quite the stop huh? Come on guys, let's get going!"

They traded off battling as they met more trainers, each opponent becoming stronger and stronger. Or perhaps it was simply from fatigue on the part of their Pokemon that made their opponents seem stronger. Zula also learned Water Gun, and Eliza learned Vine Whip. Cheren won every battle with ease, and although Touya defeated all his opponents, he did not seem to care very much. Touko easily took down Trainers as well, proving to be a little too powerful from excessive training. Eventually, she yielded her battles to Belle, who struggled in many of her matches. She would win some and lose some, but she kept her head held high and proud, becoming more excited with each battle, seeing that her Pokemon never got terribly hurt.

* * *

Joey glared hard at his three Pokemon, who were slumped on the ground, bleeding and panting heavily. His Lillipup shivered, whimpering softly. "Weak! All of you!" he yelled angrily, kicking a tuff of grass. "How am I supposed to raise a team strong enough to take on the Elite Four if you can't even handle some training! Weak bastards!" He spat.

"Bastards like you are the reason why we must liberate Pokemon from all humans," a voice behind him said. Joey whirled around in shock and came face to face with two people dressed in Team Plasma uniforms. The youngster scowled and crossed his arms. "Yeah? Well I disagree with you!"

One of the Team Plasma members shook his head, a disgusted expression spreading across his face. "Shut up, you little dick." He violently punched Joey in the face, shocking the youngster.

The youth slammed into a nearby tree, screaming out in pain. As he tried to regain his senses, the other person spoke up. It was a female's voice. "We will be taking your Pokemon now." Joey felt someone unclipping his Poke balls from his belt, and the sound of Pokemon returning. His vision swam, but he saw one of the men had turned back to him. "And we will eliminate abusive humans like you."

That was the last thing Joey heard before his world faded to black.

* * *

When the teens reached another grove of trees, the sun had begun to set, painting the sky in vivid colors. It became increasingly difficult to see ahead, so Cheren stopped his friends and announced it was time to set up camp.

After the group had found some dried vegetation, twigs, and other bits of wood to start a fire, Porky conveniently set the detritus ablaze. The boys pitched the tent while the girls sat around the fire, getting ready to prepare dinner.

At least, Belle was. Touko just watched as Belle took out a dry dinner of crackers, bread and fruit. It was not an appetizing meal, but it was better than nothing. Belle made a mental note to buy a small pot and pan, so that she could cook while on the road. The group ate their meager meal as the sky turned pitch black, the fire serving as a light of comfort and warmth. However, to the four friends, it was like any other camping trip they had in the woods near Nuvema Town.

"I'll set an alarm to wake up early tomorrow. That way, we should get to Striaton by nightfall," Cheren explained, flipping through his town map. The group had made good time today, so he was confident that they were going to reach their destination ahead of schedule.

Dinner concluded and the four trainers took turns changing inside the tent before they all filed into it. It was quite large and allowed a bit of wiggle room when all of them were crammed inside. Cheren had chosen to sleep on the far left, feet facing the entrance side. Belle quickly took the space on the opposite side, leaving the twins to split the middle. Touya took the space next to Belle, leaving Touko the area next to Cheren, much to his exasperation. He had a feeling Touya did that on purpose and made a mental note to get back at him someday. After setting his alarm clock, Cheren and his friends fell into a peaceful sleep.

Touko had shot up bright and early as usual and glanced at her sleeping companions. She wondered just how the others could sleep through Touya's monstrous snoring. Hell, it was one of the reasons she woke up in the morning so easily. Deciding that waking up Touya with her usual methods would be overkill around their friends, Touko sneaked out of the tight tent as best as she could, grabbing her pack as she headed out. She quickly changed, deciding what to do until the others woke up in another two hours.

Sighing, she took a light jog in the woods, sometimes accidentally waking up sleeping Patrats or Lillipups. The grouchy Pokemon often attacked, all of which Sir Wotterlot easily dealt with. In the end, she only wandered around for about half an hour, since Sir Wotterlot got a small injury from one of the wild Pokemon. She returned to camp shortly after, entering to tent. Looking around the room, she spotted Cheren's backpack next to his head. A potion from his bag would do nicely in healing her Oshawott.

Trying her best not to awake her friends, she silently made her way over to his bag. Seeing that she could only reach it by bending over him, she carefully kneeled next to him and stretched her arm towards his pack. She grabbed the strap in her hands and tried to lift it, only to find gravity getting the best of her. Caught by surprise, she tipped over, falling right on top of Cheren's head.

He gave a muffled yelp of surprise, Touko's chest suffocating him. Touko started in shock and pulled back, but as she was still gripping onto the backpack, the stuffed pack was dragged painfully across Cheren's face. Another pained yelp escaped from him before he finally sat up, rubbing his face in agony, glaring at Touko from one eye while the other was shut tightly. Without saying a word, he pulled his pack back from Touko, but her iron grip on the strap never relinquished, so the momentum of the pull only brought her back on top of Cheren, the backpack being the only thing keeping the two separated.

Touya and Belle had awoken within the chaos and Touya, growled, "The hell, you two? Get a room and quit waking people up with your sex cries."

Touko finally released her grip and sat up, throwing the evil eye at her twin, face aflame. Cheren sat up and fumbled for his glasses, slamming them onto his face. He readjusted his glasses, letting his raven hair and his hand cover his red, blushing face. "Well good morning to you too, Touya," Cheren mumbled dryly. He made a mental note that he _really_ needed to get back at him...big time...

Belle, finally rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, chirped, "Good morning guys! What happened?" She glanced around at the sour expressions and her smile faded into confusion. "Did I say something wrong?"

Touko only groaned in response, flopping back into her bed. Cheren readjusted his glasses again, grabbing his pack and leaving the tent, mumbling something about changing. Touya's morning anger quickly faded into indifference and he shrugged. Belle was still confused and upset her friends were not telling her this supposed secret.

Touko suddenly remembered why she just went through all that trouble. "Damn it, I still don't have a potion!" she complained.

* * *

The teenagers began their trek to Striaton, not discussing the morning's events. They stayed on the dirt path, keeping out of the grass as much as possible. Cheren's potion stack was running low, and the Pokemon were all tired from battling throughout the day. Avoiding battle seemed best, so when the trainers spotted a woman with pink hair on the road in the late afternoon, they panicked.

"Not another Trainer!" Belle moaned. "Porky and Lia are too tired!"

"Eliza can probably take them, but I think she needs a rest." Cheren pushed his glasses higher up his nose.

With a shrug, Touya commented, "Don't feel like battling."

Touko still had not healed Sir Wotterlot, so she shook her head. "Come on, let's just tip toe through the grass or som-"

"Heeey! You guys!"

The four teens snapped their heads towards the woman they were trying to avoid. She was running right at them. Touko yelped, "Yikes, make a run for it!" She started to dash away, but Touya held her back, sighing.

The woman had caught up in the meantime, panting heavily. She smiled at the teens before her. "Hi! Boy, am I glad that I saw you guys out here!" She blinked when she saw Touko and Belle looking away. "Um excuse me...?"

"Don't mind them," Cheren sighed, nudging Touko in the ribs. She hissed and crossed her arms, still determined to avoid eye contact. Cheren turned his attention back to the girl. "Did you need something?"

Nodding, the woman took out three Poke balls and Cheren inwardly groaned. "Are you guys Trainers?" she asked. Cheren nodded quickly, becoming very exasperated.

"Well, in that case…" She threw all three capsules into the air. Three monkey-like Pokemon appeared, all chiming happily in unison. Cheren was fascinated by the Pokemon, so he took out his Pokedex to examine them. Up until now, every trainer only had Patrats, Lillipups, and the occasional Purrloins. This was quite a change of pace from them.

"I want to ask you guys a favor. Do you think you can take these guys off my hands?" the woman asked, smiling sheepishly.

The group stared in shock at her proposal, glancing at the monkeys. One of them was green, clearly a Grass type. It had a bushy, tree-like growth on top of its head and a green tail that had two leaves attached at the end. Next to it was a red monkey with swirling tuff of hair resembling a flame. The last monkey had a water spout-shaped attachment on top of its head, its tail boasting a similar appearance. All three Pokemon were staring quizzically at the teens before them.

Belle spoke first. "But...why don't you want them?"

The woman rubbed her neck, pursing her lips. "To be honest, I found them on the side of the street. I just saw Poke balls lying there and decided to pick them up. They seemed very confused when I released them. I suppose a Trainer had abandoned them..." She sighed. "I'm only staying in Striaton for another month while I'm interning at the Pokemon Center here. I tried to find their trainer, but after a month, no one came to claim them. I don't have the resources or capabilities to take care of them, so I've just been coming out every day after work to see if I can find trainers to take them in."

She frowned. "It's strange. I haven't seen a Trainer for days. Even the city is devoid of them. Usually they swarm to our Pokemon Center like Beedrill to honey. But, anyways!" She caught herself and grinned. "Can you guys take them, please?"

Cheren smiled saying, "We would love to. One problem though." He held up three fingers. "There are three of them." He gestured to the Pokemon. "And four of us."

"Maybe we can send them to Professor Juniper! I'm sure she would love to meet them!" Touko grinned. "If one of us won't get a Pokemon, I don't want it. Besides…" She crossed her arms, smirking. "I want to catch my Pokemon, not receive them as a gift. I'm determined on that!" Touya nodded to her words, agreeing fully.

"Then why haven't you caught one yet?" Cheren smirked back.

Touko rolled her eyes, mumbling, "Haven't found the one I wanted yet..."

Belle knelt down in front of the green Pokemon. "You look very sweet!" She held up the Pokedex to see its information, smiling. "Oh, you're a Pansage!" She giggled. She held the Pokedex up to the other two as well. "And you're a Pansear, and a Panpour!"

Cheren sighed and turned back to the woman. "Is that fine?"

"Oh yeah! As long as they have a new home, I don't mind!" She smiled at Cheren.

"Then we will be taking them, Miss…?" he paused, not knowing how to address her.

"Marisol. My name's Marisol." She grinned, giving a small curtsy. "Thank you so much! I don't suppose you guys are headed to Striaton?"

"Yeah we are, actually!" Touko smiled. "Are we close?"

"We're about an hour away, actually! Why don't we all head back together? I can show you the way to Pokemon Center. Striaton is a rather large city after all."

The teens took her up on the offer and the group set out again. They introduced themselves to Marisol, who told them a lot about Pokemon care. Touko and Belle listened intently so they did not need to depend on Cheren for all of their Pokemon needs.

Soon, they entered Striaton City and Marisol took them to the Pokemon Center. There, she waved and parted ways with the teens. Cheren took the newly obtained Pokemon and sent them over to Professor Juniper right away. The teens then gave their Pokemon to Nurse Ophelia to be healed and restored. They rented a room and placed their belongings in there before going to get dinner.

A quick stop was made at the convenience store where the trainers stocked up on potions with the cash they earned from defeating trainers. Touko relished in the fact that she actually had potions of her own, instead of depending Cheren for healing needs. Belle had lost more money than earned it, but still had more than enough left to buy new supplies. Touya bought a few before himself as well.

After retrieving their Pokemon, the teens head back for some much needed sleep.

* * *

The group slept like babies that night and woke up a little later the next day to explore the city. They left their rooms when the sun was highest in the sky, showering the day with optimistic warmth.

The neighborhood at the entrance of the city consisted of several blocks of tall apartment buildings, built with mahogany colored bricks, offering a very old-fashioned feel. Once the apartment complexes thinned out, more modern styled buildings appeared. The Pokemon Center stood bright and sparkling, similar in appearance to the one in Accumula Town. Many shops and boutiques lined the streets, and little restaurants had waiters inviting passersby in for lunch.

Everyone looked around in awe at the city. They had been too tired and hungry to really notice their surroundings the previous night. In the main street, there were many more people gathered and the streets swarmed with lunch-goers and shoppers.

With a stocked arsenal of medicine and fully healed Pokemon, the friends set out to explore the city. Belle gazed around with eager eyes, excited to visit every shop in the city. Touko pulled her hat down to shade her eyes from the sun. "Alright, so we should go and find the Gym first!" She cheered, starting to walk off in another direction.

Cheren pulled her back, sighing, "Touko, slow down. We need to know where we're going first. This is a huge city, so we should stick together, alright?" He turned to his friends, a soft smile on his face. Noticing something off, his smile faded. Touko huffed and turned around as well, but blinked in surprise.

"Hey Touya...?" she asked her twin.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Where did Belle go?" She glanced around, hoping to spot her short friend's green hat in the crowd. Cheren and Touya whipped around, looking all over as well.

But Belle was nowhere in sight.

* * *

**A/N: Phew! That took a while. I just kept adding and adding to it. ((Ok so I added this little note AFTER I placed it on Microsoft Word, and Dear Arceus, it's 24 pages long. WHAT IN THE WORLD.)) I hope no one was bored by it. Next chapter will be the Gym Battles. Let me know if I'm progressing too slowly.**

**Everyone remember Youngster Joey from HGSS? The annoying brat who would never stop calling you about his stupid Ratata? Yeah, he's like, the third trainer you meet in the BW games after Accumula. I decided to just turn him into an obnoxious rude kid. Not even clever rude. Just outright, pathetic, rude.**

**Anyways, hoped you enjoyed that, and review until next chapter please! Thanks to those who review!**

**Cheers!**  
**~Alexie**


	8. Ch 7: Triple Trouble

_Chapter 7: Triple Trouble_

* * *

_September 22, 2010_

Upon his return, Ghetsis wasted no time in storming back into his castle, shoving the giant golden doors open with tremendous force. Seeing their master in a foul mood, the castle grunts immediately scurried like Ratatas towards the darker corners of the halls and out of sight for fear of being in the way of his wrath. They remained silent as the fuming man stomped by, his cloak swishing angrily as he walked.

He could not understand it. He thought he had eliminated the one person who stood in the way of his plans. "So why is it that _that _child looks exactly like that man?" Ghetsis growled under his breath. If the vision Musharna had shown him eighteen years ago was true, his adversary should have been rid of. "Was I wrong?" he hissed, striding towards the observatory.

He entered the voluminous chamber with the open ceiling. The Seven Sages kept Musharna imprisoned in a glass case at the center of the observatory. Two members of Team Plasma were guarding it at all times to ensure it would not escape. Ghetsis kept the Pokemon in case it would be of use again and also because he feared that it would fall into the hands of another individual. The Pokemon simply held too many secrets.

Upon entering the observatory, however, Ghetsis was greeted with the sight of the two guards lying unconscious on the floor. The container that had been the Pokemon's prison was shattered, with no sign of the Psychic Pokemon anywhere. Ghetsis froze, staring at the scene before him. Slowly, the ice in his blood was melted by a new wave of anger and he roared, "What the hell has just happened here?"

One of the grunts stirred. Ghetsis stormed over to the man and lifted him up effortlessly, his red eye glaring intensely into the sleepy eyes of the grunt. Realizing the situation he was in, the guard blinked the sleep out of his eyes, fear and horror filling them instead. "P...Par...pardon me s...s...sir?" he stuttered, wincing.

"Can you tell me," Ghetsis lifted him higher, "Where the fuck Musharna is?" He swished his arm down, flinging the unfortunate grunt to the ground.

The guard grunted in pain, but quickly answered, "I...I don't know! It...it just, well...the g...glass just suddenly b...broke and, and that's all I remember!" He stared helplessly at Ghetsis's visible red eye, unable to look away from it.

Ghetsis's eyes flared up in anger, but then went eerily calm. Relaxing his shoulder, Ghetsis took a deep breath, "So...you are saying you two were unable to do anything about it?"

The petrified man could only nod, terrified of the sudden change of tone in Ghetsis's voice. Warning signals blared inside his head, but he could only stare up at the looming figure.

"In that case," Ghetsis turned around and started to walk away. The grunt breathed out, not realizing he had been holding his breath. He started to relax, but his blood ran cold at Ghetsis's next words.

"Neither of you are of any use to me anymore." He pulled out a Poke ball from his robes, tossing it out. A large three-headed dragon exploded out from the capsule, roaring savagely, its red eyes flickering from side to side in search of its next meal. Both of its arms ended with a head, jaws snapping hungrily. Its six feathery black wings flapped to keep the Dragon-type hovering in the air; the poisonous fuchsia feathers that surrounded each of the blue heads fluttered in the gust created by the wings. Slick ebony fur ran down the neck and arms, ending mid-torso, where blue and fuchsia scales covered the rest of its body and tail. Ghetsis sneered, knowing just how hungry his Hydreigon was.

"Hydreigon, do not leave too many scraps behind, if you can. The grunts will start rumors if you do," Ghetsis waved his hand as he walked to the doorway to get a safe distance away before turning back around to watch the show.

The conscious grunt backed away, shaking his head in fear. "N...no please! Master Ghetsis, I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" he pleaded desperately, eyes never leaving the slowly advancing dragon.

"It's too late. My Hydreigon is too famished to stop. Is it not Pokemon abuse to deny them a lovely meal?" Ghetsis gave a cruel smile to the horrified guard. "You are in Team Plasma. Our job is to appease and liberate all Pokemon, is it not?"

"N...no please! Please!" The grunt continued to cry, suddenly tripping over the other grunt. The other man stirred from his sleep just as Hydreigon lunged at the pair.

Blood curdling screams sliced through the air, dispersing upwards through the opening of the chamber before fading into the blood-red sunset overhead. Ghetsis watched the bloodbath unfold before his eyes in satisfaction. Hydreigon ate with equal satisfaction, particularly pleased by the more corpulent of the two guards.

Finally finishing his meal, Hydreigon returned over to Ghetsis. Noticing the mass of red liquid on the ground, the green-haired man scowled, "You left a huge mess of blood on the marble floor, you fool. Now we need to get someone to clean it up." Sighing, he returned his Hydreigon, tucking the Poke ball back into the folds of his robes.

Finding Musharna was now a high priority, and he had a pretty good idea as to where it had gone. But one thing ranked higher than that.

He wanted to know who exactly that brunet boy with the Oshawott was.

* * *

Belle bounced down the street, peering into each store window. So many different foods, clothes, and interesting knick-knacks were sold here! If only she had more money, she would certainly buy something! Fishing into her bag again, Belle dug out her little green wallet and unclasped the buckle. A small frown crossed her face and she pursed my lips. "I'll need to spend carefully…I don't have much money left…" she sighed, walking along. She continued strolling down the street, oblivious to the fact that she had left her companions several blocks away.

Her eyes blinked, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Well this looks like a nifty little shop!" she chirped, walking towards a little boutique. She opened the door, and a small bell ran overhead, announcing her entrance.

A woman at the counter greeted her with a warm smile, a greeting that Belle returned. The woman walked over to Belle, asking, "May I help you today?"

Belle grinned, "Oh, I'm just looking around! I just saw some items in the window and thought they were very cute."

The store clerk chuckled, replying, "These are all accessories for your Pokemon, dear!" Belle nodded slowly, her mouth open slightly as she breathed out, "Oh…"

The woman continued, "Most of these are just for show, but some actually contain energy to enhance your Pokemon's abilities."

Eyes widening, Belle exclaimed, "What do you mean? Enhance abilities? Like make them stronger and such?"

Nodding quickly, the store clerk led the trainer to the other side of the shop, where some items were stored behind a glass case. "Here they are. Each of these items enhances a certain type of Pokemon move."

Seeing Belle's confused expression, the woman explained, "How about this. For example," she pointed to a white scarf wrapped around a small mannequin, "This is called a Silk Scarf. It enhances the power of Normal-type Pokemon, like Lillipups and Patrats. It contains a curious energy that seems to only be in harmony with Normal types. It's rather fascinating, actually," she mused.

Belle excitedly chirped, "Well I have a Lillipup! And a Tepig!" She gazed over the price tags, her face falling a little. "But to get an item for both of them…I can only afford one…" Belle was torn. She did not want her other Pokemon to feel left out if only one of them got a present.

Belle asked, "What's the item for Fire-types like Tepig?"

Pointing to a small black ball attached to a leather twine, the store clerk responded, "Fire types are compatible with Charcoal. We craft the special Charcoal into a necklace so that it is easily worn by Pokemon. This one is actually rather cheap. If you'd like, I can sell it to you at a discounted price of P150. What do you say?"

"And how much would it cost for the Silk Scarf?"

"I'll discount it to P200."

"Oh that would be wonderful! In that case, I can buy both! Hang on, lemme get my wallet again!" She went back for another hunt through her purse while the store clerk pulled out the necklace and scarf from two of the boxes behind the counter. Fetching the money from her purse, Belle slowly counted out P350 onto the counter with a bright grin, trading the cash for the items. "Thank you so much!" Belle took the necklace carefully, heading to the door. "Thank you Ma'am!"

The woman waved back, smiling. "Thank you! Have a nice day!"

Belle exited the small shop, gazing at her little necklace and scarf with a smile. She then began her search through her cluttered bag, triumphantly pulling out her Poke balls minutes later. She released her two companions, squatting down towards them.

"Hey guys! Guess what?" She dangled the gifts in front of her confused Pokemon's faces. "I got you guys something! They're supposed to make you stronger, but I think they also look really cute! How about it guys! Want to try them on?"

Porky and Lia voiced their agreement and Belle attached the new items on them. Lia hopped around, barking happily as the scarf swooshed around. Porky played with the necklace around his neck, curious as to what it was. It gave him a very warm feeling, one that he really liked.

Beaming, Belle chirped, "Touko, look how happy they a-" Belle turned around, only to find that none of her friends were with her. Startled, she stood up, looking all around. "Hey…where did everyone go?" She twirled to one side, head buzzing in realization. "Aw, did I wander off again? Oh gosh, this city is huge! How will I find them again? Man oh man, I don't know where to go! Wait, didn't they say they were going to the Gym? Oh, but I don't even know where the Gym is!" Belle's hands flew up to her green beret, clutching the hat in dispair.

"Um, perhaps I may be of assistance, Miss?" a soft and kind voice spoke up from behind her.

Belle spun around and came face to face with a young man with short green hair wearing uncertain smile on his face. He was dressed in a waiter outfit and a green bowtie. Two cloth bags filled with groceries hung from both of his elbows and in his arms was a large paper bag, also filled with food. His green eyes sparkled. "I, uh, overheard that you were looking for your friends, or perhaps the Striaton Gym?" He bowed. "I happen to be a worker at the Gym, so I would be more than happy to escort you there." He spoke with slight hesitation in his voice, as if he was not sure about his own words.

Belle clapped her hands together, beaming, "Oh what luck! Thanks a lot! I need to find my friends! I want to show them my new Pokemon!"

The man took a peek at the Tepig and Lillipup, mauling over their appearances for a moment. He broke out into a wide smile and in a melodic, confident voice, he said, "Oh how superb! Your Tepig gives off a very poignant, yet soft taste! Much like rosemary I must say." His emerald eyes twinkled. "And the Lillipup…ohh, spicy! With a tinge of sweetness, like ginger!" He smiled. "They are very fine Pokemon indeed, Miss."

"Thank you!" Belle blushed. "Alright then, I guess I'm ready to go then!" Belle held out her Poke ball, promptly returning her Pokemon with a flashes of red light.

Turning to the man, Belle bowed her head slightly, "Thank you for helping me! May I ask you to lead me to the Gym as a last favor?" She clapped her hands together, grinning ear to ear.

The man smiled, bowing as low as he could with his baggage, "Certainly, Miss. Allow me the honor of introducing myself." His emerald eyes sparkled as he spoke, "My name is Cilan, and I am a Pokemon Sommelier! If you will follow me please, I shall escort you to the Gym."

Several turns and city blocks later, the two of them reached a magnificent bronze-colored building, three stories high, topped off with blue-grey roofs. Two large bronze Poke balls, hoisted onto two pedestals, were situated on both sides of a set of stairs that lead up to the front door. The porch was shaded by a velvet red overhang, edges trimmed in gold. It was the only old fashioned building in the new district of the town, but it only added to its elegance.

Belle gaped in admiration, causing Cilan to chuckle. "Do you like the Gym, Miss?" he asked, walking up the steps and opening the door.

"It's gorgeous! I've never seen a building so beautiful in my life!" she breathed in amazement, walking forward. She was distracted by her gazing and didn't notice that she had reached the stairs. She tripped on the first step and went sprawling towards the ground.

However, she did not hit the cement stairs, as she was used to. Instead, a white sleeved arm had caught her and she looked up to see who her savior was. A handsome blue-haired man, garbed in an identical waiter outfit to Cilan's, smiled down at her with sparkling sapphire eyes. "Are you alright Miss?" he asked in a velvety voice.

All she could do was nod, still surprised. Finally snapping out of her gaze, Belle gasped, getting up and bowed. "Thank you so much sir! Thank you for catching me!" She cried out, coming back up with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry!"

"There is no need to apologize! We are more than happy to help out anyone in trouble, especially ladies!" an energetic voice said. Belle noticed it came from another man in a waiter outfit, but unlike the calm disposition of the other two, he had a bright grin on his face, his mass of bright red hair matching the fire in his ruby eyes.

Belle felt her face go a bit warm. She actually found the three men rather attractive, and could only bow again. "Thank you so much! I really appreciate your help! Oh!" She got back up, blush growing brighter. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Belle!" she chirped. "It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

The three men all bowed in unison, and the blue-haired man replied, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Cress."

"And I'm Chili!" exclaimed the last man, grinning. "Please, do come in!" All three gestured to the door and Belle carefully walked inside. The dark garnet carpet was strewn with gold diamond designs and fancy tables were scattered throughout the vast room. The tables each had a candle lit in the middle and were set with wine glasses and silverware, with some people actually dining at the moment. Belle furrowed her eyebrows, frowning a bit.

The red-haired man noticed her expression and questioned, "Is something the matter Miss?"

"Well you see…" Belle glanced around the room. "I just expected a Gym to be more…you know!" She held her arms up and pretended to flex her muscles, gritting her teeth with a growl. "All, tough-like! With Pokemon sweating, or super buff guys doing weird, show-offy stuff with their unreal muscles!"

All three men started to chuckle lightly at her actions. Cress responded, "Rest assured, Miss, this is in fact the Striaton City Gym. Part of the Gym is actually a restaurant, which is the fine establishment you see here. We work as waiters here. However…"

All of a sudden, the lights snapped off, the only lights remaining being the candle lights on each table. As sudden as the lights had gone off, three spotlights flashed on, aimed at a red velvet curtain that covered the back wall of the restaurant. After her eyes had readjusted, Belle saw the three men walking smoothly over to the spotlights before twirling around on their heels in one fluid motion.

Small smiles spread across their lips, eyes closed. Chili stood in the middle, first to speak. "As I have said, I am Chili, and I light things up with Fire-type Pokemon!" He pumped his fist up in the air, posing.

Cress flipped his blue hair out of his eyes and continued, ""I'm a Water-type specialist and I have already mentioned that my name is Cress." He placed his hand under his chin, smiling softly.

Cilan was last to speak in his timid voice. "And you know me as Cilan. I like Grass-type Pokemon." He looked at the other two uncertainly and said, "Well…as for what, um, we do other than being waiters, is…um…" he trailed off, pursing his lips.

Coming to his rescue, Chili stepped forward, grinning, "Enough of that! Listen up!" He pointed at Belle. "We are not just waiters, but we are the Gym Leaders as well! We are the triplet brothers who run Striaton City Gym! If you have come here, you must either be a diner or a challenger. So which is it?"

Not believing the show she just saw, Belle stammered, "Oh! Uh…I'm a challenger, but…uh…" Man, was Cilan's stuttering contagious. Poor Belle was too flustered from their performance to say much more. Cress sighed and walked to her, taking her hand. "Would you like to challenge this Gym then?"

Slowly regaining her composure, Belle responded, "Well yes! But…" she glanced around the room again. "I'm was waiting for my friends to show up. We were supposed to challenge you together…"

The three men blinked in surprise before Chili spoke up, "But Gym Challenges are meant to be solo affairs! You must challenge us one at a time. Even with three of us, those are the rules!" Cilan nodded, not saying a word more.

Surprised, Belle pursed her lips. She really did not know much about this Gym Challenge business. It was nothing more than just challenging a powerful trainer to a battle, right? How bad could it be? Finding her resolve, Belle adjusted her hat and grinned. "Alright! Let's do this then!" She searched her mind for the correct set of words: nothing too cheesy, and just the right amount of dramatic boldness.

"I challenge the Striaton City Gym to a Gym battle!"

* * *

Touko, Touya, and Cheren ran down several blocks, searching the masses of people for their blonde friend. However, Belle was nowhere to be found and the trainers were beginning to become anxious.

"Jeez, that Belle. Always late and always getting lost," Cheren growled.

"Oh come on Cheren. That's not true!" Touko countered, simultaneously peering into shop windows and holding her phone to her ear. She got Belle's voicemail again and snapped her phone close in frustration.

Touya followed behind her, checking the shops as well. "Why not just ask someone if they've seen her?" he suggested.

Cheren rolled his eyes, "In this huge city? Who would remember one person out of everyone on the street?"

"Oh!" Touko exclaimed, "Belle likes to shop! I'm sure if we ask some shop owners, they would have seen her! Ok ok!" She placed her hands on her hips, looking at all the shops. "I'll ask…THIS ONE!" Touko ran to a shop and burst in, leaving the two guys outside. A moment later, she came out, shaking her head. "Nope. Ok let's try another one…"

The three friends wandered around, asking more shop owners, but no one had seen their bubbly friend. About to give up, Cheren said, "Why don't we just go to the Gym first. Maybe she's already th-"

"I'll check this one!" Touko exclaimed, dashing into a little boutique. The bell overhead jingled, and a woman at the counter smiled at her new visitor. "Welcome! May I help you today?"

"Hello, did you happen to see a blonde girl, about ye-tall," she held her hands to her shoulder's height, indicating Belle's height, "Wears a green beret? Probably tripped on the threshold of your shop?"

Nodding, the woman replied, "As a matter of fact, yes! I sold her a couple of Pokemon accessories today. Are you looking for her?"

Touko jumped up in the air, giving a victory cry. "Yes! Finally, someone who has seen her!" Calming down, she addressed the clerk, "Yeah, my friends and I have been looking for her. Any clue where she went?"

"Not too sure, but I did see her walk away with one of the Gym Leaders of Striaton. His name is Cilan. I'm sure he probably took her back to his Gym," the woman informed.

Touko quickly bowed, grinning, "Thank you! Have a nice day!" before she rushed out the door.

* * *

"See, if we had just gone to the gym in the first pla-"

"Arceus, shut up Cheren," Touko growled, bringing a scowl to her friend's face. The trio walked up the stairs to the elegant building, stepping in. After sweeping the room with amazed eyes, the Trainers caught sight of…

"Belle!" Touko exclaimed, running over.

The blonde Trainer was seated at one of the elegant tables, having a small drink. Around her were the three brothers, who looked up at Touko's entrance.

"My, is this one of the friends you of, Miss Belle?" Cress asked, flipping his hair back with a calm smile.

With a quick nod, Belle chirped, "Touko! Hi! I thought I lost you guys! I guess you came to the gym after all!"

Placing her hands on her hips, Touko sighed, "Geez! We ran around like mad Torchics looking for you! And here you were at the gym all along!" She finally noticed the three men staring at her and raised her eyebrows at the attractive men. "And who're these guys?"

Cheren and Touya were walking over just as Belle responded, "Oh yeah! I should introduce you. Touko, this is…"

She began gesturing to the brothers, but Chili placed a hand on Belle's shoulder, grinning. "No need to explain! We shall do it for you!"

Immediately, the lights went back down, and the triplets went through their introduction again. Cheren watched, boredom clear in his eyes, while Touya remained as apathetic as ever. Touko's eyes widened and she felt her face grow slightly hot. Dear goodness, they were an attractive bunch!

When the introduction ended, Cheren's boredom seeped away, replaced by excitement. "Wait, you three are the Striaton Gym Leaders? But I thought only one person runs a gym!"

"Well…um…we are triplets, after all," Cilan quietly responded, rubbing his head. "And only one person fights at a time."

"Oh come now, Cilan!" Chili said, crossing his arms. "I just thought of something splendid! See here! There are three of us…and three of them." He grinned at the surprised expressions.

Touko stepped forward, wearing a grin as well. "Sounds interesting! What're the rules?"

Cress held up one finger. "Well Miss Touko, firstly, each Trainer will only use one Pokemon each. Once that one faints, then that player has lost the challenge and will not earn a badge. Second of all." He held another finger up, "There will be no set opponent to face. Since it is a three vs. three battle, all of the Pokemon may attack the same one at the same time, or vice versa. Are you all willing to take the risk of having our Pokemon attack one of yours all at a time?"

Cheren pondered their rules carefully. It would be very tricky, especially since they never tried teamwork. This kind of battle was risky and he knew that the Gym Leaders, as triplets, probably had perfectly coordinated teamwork. "I'm not so sure that-"

"We accept your challenge!" Touko declared, grinning from ear to ear.

Cheren sighed heavily, adjusting his glasses in frustration. Touya shrugged, apparently not caring. Touko started taking out her Poke ball, but Cress said, "We will not be fighting here. We have our battle in the back of the restaurant."

As soon he spoke, the red velvet curtain behind him began to move, parting to the sides to reveal a balcony that overlooked a cavernous indoor Pokemon battlefield. The brothers headed towards the balcony, indicating the direction to a flight of stairs leading down to the field. Touko was already running down the stairs, with Cheren and Touya following behind. Belle followed as well, but did not descend the stairs. Noticing this, Cheren looked up at her figure peering down from the balcony. "Wait a moment. What about Belle?" He turned to the brothers, frowning, "You kept saying it was three vs. three. But there are four of us. You have forgotten about Belle."

"Oh Cheren! I already fought and got my Gym Badge!" Belle grinned, holding up a small metal symbol. It had a golden lining around three diamonds stacked on top of another, one blue, one red, and one green. Cheren stared in shock, not having seen this outcome. Touya only shrugged while Touko gaped with her mouth wide open.

Belle frowned at their expressions, feeling a bit insulted. She knew she was not the best Trainer, but she was not horribly unskilled. "What?"

Touya was the first to speak. "Congratulations Belle. That's really great." He gave her a small smile, which Belle returned tenfold.

Cheren only shook his head, mumbling something inaudible before calling, "Nothing. Congratulations Belle. Job well done!" He smiled at her, hands in his pockets.

"Yeah! That's amazing Touko! Really! Watch me, I'll get a badge too!" Licking her lips, Touko turned her attention back to the triplets, who had positioned themselves on one side of the field. Touya walked over to the opposite side of the field, waiting for his companions to get ready.

Once everyone was in place, a referee came out from a side door, stationing himself on his podium. "This will be a three on three Gym Battle between the Gym Leaders of Striaton City and the challengers. Once a Pokemon is unable to continue, that Trainer is out. If one side loses all of their Pokemon, the other side will win the match." He held up a red flag in his right hand, the teenagers' side, and a blue flag in his left, the triplets' side. He brought them above his head before swiping them down, his voice booming across the room, "And begin!"

The triplets wasted no time in gracefully tossing their Poke balls onto the field.

"Panpour, dazzle them!" Cress smiled.

"Pansear, bring the heat!" Chili grinned.

"Pansage, front and center!" Cilan announced.

The three elemental monkey Pokemon materialized in front of their respective trainers, crying out their names. Immediately, their challengers tossed out their own Pokemon. Cheren and Touya silently released their Pokemon while Touko yelled, "Dish some awesomeness, Sir Wotterlot!"

Two Oshawotts and a Snivy appeared, poised for battle. Cress raised his eyebrows, commenting, "Well this is a surprise. I had figured that because Miss Belle had a Tepig, then you all got Pokemon from Professor Juniper. How interesting to see two Oshawott. But no matter." He held his hand out, smiling, "We will allow the challengers to make the first move."

Suddenly, everything froze for the new trainers. Touko started to say something, but Cheren interrupted, "Look Touko, don't go charging in blindly. We need to come up with some sort of plan. They aren't Gym Leaders for nothing. This might be their perfect game." He gazed at the three monkey Pokemon, quietly saying, "I'll go for the Pansage. Touya, go after the Panpour, and Touko, you take the Pansear."

Touko pursed her lips and nodded. She decided that maybe this time, it would be best to listen to him. "Sir Wotterlot!" She pointed at the Pansear. "Go! Water Gun at the red one!"

"Eliza, Leer."

"Zula, Water Gun the Panpour."

The Pokemon launched their attacks. Two streams of water sped towards the High Temp and Spray Pokemon, but they remained calm, awaiting orders. Eliza hung back, glaring coldly at the Pansage. The Grass Monkey Pokemon winced at the harsh look, trying to remain calm.

Chili pumped his fist into the air. "Alright! Pansear, dodge and Lick that Oshawott!"

With a mighty leap, the Pansear soared into the air, the Water Gun passing by below. It landed on the ground and made a beeline for Sir Wotterlot. In the meantime, Cress had ordered his Pokemon to dodge and use Work Up. The Panpour started to take deep breaths, pumping its muscles to warm itself up.

Feeling power surging through it, it awaited Cress's next order. "Now Panpour, use Water Gun as well!"

Touko did not react fast enough as the Pansear got close enough to Lick her Oshawott. Sir Wotterlot squealed, shuddering from the wet tongue that had just slobbered across his face. It curled up into a ball and shook in disgust. Touko gaped and called out, "Sir Wotterlot! Get up! You're a sitting Ducklett like that!"

Before the Oshawott could move, the Water Gun from the Panpour slammed into him, sending the Sea Otter careening across the field. Zula became distracted by Sir Wotterlot and peered momentarily at her brother. Cilan took his chance to call, "Pansage, grab the female Oshawott with your Vine Whip!"

Two vines shot like arrows towards Zula. Thinking fast, Cheren called, "Eliza, intercept them!"

A second pair of vines shot from the opposite direction, but did not make it in time to stop the Pansage. Zula yelped as the Vine Whip took her hostage, but felt yet another pair of vines taking hold of her. Eliza and the Pansage were now engaged in a fight of tug-of-war and Zula felt herself being tugged to and fro by the two Grass types. The feel of the vines were uncomfortable and she tried to squirm free.

In the meantime, Touko was trying to get Sir Wotterlot to regain his composure, with little success. Still shocked and shaking from the Lick, the Oshawott stood on wobbly feet, trying to act tough. Touko clapped and cheered, "Alright! Let's go, Side Step Charge the Pansear!"

Sir Wotterlot began to dash towards the Pansear, although he was hesitant to approach him. He slowed as he got closer and was met with another blast of water from the Panpour. Sir Wotterlot skidded across the floor, the gravel scraping him slightly. His fur dripped with water as he got back to his flippers, panting slightly.

The Panpour and Pansear were upon him in an instant, claws brandished. Oshawott did not wait for an order before dodging to the side just as the claws slashed down. They left deep grooves in the dirt, indicating that the Scratch would have been deep if it had hit. Touko turned to Cheren to ask for help but saw he was preoccupied in keeping Eliza focused. Touya only watched on without interest, not ordering his Pokemon to do something.

Desperately, Touko asked, "Touya, can you see if Zula can target one of the Pokemon going after Sir Wotterlot?"

With blank eyes, Touya nodded, calling out, "Zula, try and aim at the Pansear with your Water Gun."

Eliza continued to tug on the Oshawott, gritting her teeth. The Pansage did not relinquish its hold, keeping a constant pull on his enemy. Zula heard his order and tried to wiggle around to get a clear shot at the fire monkey Pokemon, but it proved to be difficult with the constant pulling. Nonetheless, she fired off a Water Gun that just missed the other two Pokemon. Unfortunately, the attack had caught their attention. Without missing a beat at seeing the new opportunity, Cilan called out, "Pansage, you know what to do!"

"Pansear, at the ready!"

"You too, Panpour!"

Pansage gave a strong heave, pulling Zula a good distance away. In retaliation, Eliza tugged harder, but to her surprise, she felt Pansage let go. The momentum of her pull sent the Zula speeding towards her. Before Zula crashed into her, Eliza noticed a bright light coming from the side, and saw a scorching flame flying towards them. The moment Zula and Eliza collided, the flame was upon them, burning the two Pokemon. Their cries of agony could be heard from within the flame.

As the fire dissipated, Eliza collapsed to her knees, barely conscious. Scorched burns covered her body, although the wounds did not appear too severe. Zula was still standing, although she harbored burns as well. Both Pokemon were panting heavily, fatigue and pain overcoming them.

It was clear that Touko, Touya, and Cheren were not doing well. As Cheren had expected, the triplets had combinations already preplanned and their Pokemon knew exactly what times and scenarios to execute them in. Touko clenched her fists, determined to win. She was not going to lose again. Their Pokemon were nearly unconscious, but as long as they were still standing, Touko was determined not to give up. Not like last time.

But what could they do?

Belle stared in shock. Cilan was not NEARLY this strong when she had fought him! It was like they were masters at teamwork, even though they claimed to only fight solo. "Keep going you guys! You can do it, I know it! If I can, you can too!" Belle cheered, pumping her voice with encouragement.

A sudden idea crossed her mind, and Touko gasped, "Cheren! Touya! Listen!" She began to whisper her elaborate plan and Cheren smiled once she finished.

"Well well, that actually sounds feasible." Touya shrugged, not caring too much. Touko pumped her fist in the air, exclaiming, "Come on! Let's try it!"

Nodding to each other, the trio of Trainers turned their attention to their tired Pokemon. The Gym Leaders had been kindly and patiently waiting with smiles on their faces. Touya was first to talk, "Zula, stand in front of Eliza and protect her."

"Eliza, grab Sir Wotterlot with your Vine Whip and get him high up!"

Noticing her Oshawott's discomfort, Touko called, "It's fine! Relax Sir Wotterlot! Just stay up there and aim at the Pokemon with your Water Gun!"

The triplets raised their eyebrows. They had never seen anyone use this technique before.

"But no matter! Pansear, scorch them with Incinerate!" Chili called out. Panpour and Pansage stood at the ready, intending to follow up the fire attack that unleashed from the High Temp Pokemon's mouth.

"Intercept with Water Gun!" Touya called out suddenly. Zula obliged, hitting the flames head on with her Water Gun. She proved to be more powerful, her attack shooting through the flames with ease, blasting right into the Pansear. It flew back, surprising its companion. Touko took the chance to call out a command. A thin cloud of steam formed where the attacks met. "Aim and fire, Sir Wotterlot! Take your pick!"

The Oshawott puffed out his cheeks, releasing a massive stream of water. The Water Gun slammed into the Panpour, knocking it back as well. While both Panpour and Pansear shook the water from their fur, Cilan ordered, "Pansage, Vine Whip the Snivy!"

Touko intercepted, "Water Gun, quickly!"

"Zula, keep defending!"

Two Water Guns collided with Pansage just as its vines shot out. The extensions stopped in mid-air and flopped to the ground before retracting as Pansage too fell back. Touko leapt up in the air, seeing their new strategy was working, but the Gym Leaders were still smiling.

"Oh my, brothers, it seems they came up with a good technique," Cilan timidly said, a small, uncertain smile on his face.

"Nothing that can stop us!" Chili declared, crossing his arms.

Cress brushed the hair from his eyes, "Shall we attack in unison?"

With an exchange of glances, the triplets turned to their Pokemon. The three monkeys caught their Trainers' gazes and turned to face their opponents.

Pansage's Vine Whip shot out first, aimed at the two Oshawotts. Eliza moved to swing Sir Wotterlot out of harm's way, but was distracted by another onslaught of Incinerate. Both Pokemon barely escaped, the attacks just grazing them. Before they could regain their balance, Panpour's Water Gun streamed towards them, and Eliza stood in front, taking the hit. Sir Wotterlot was dragged back along with Eliza when the water attack hit.

By now, all six Pokemon seemed exhausted, panting heavily.

"Eliza won't last much longer like this…" Cheren growled softly, staring at his Snivy. "Right now, that Pansear seems to be the greatest threat. Think your Oshawotts can take it out?"

"We can't attack straight on. My best guess is that if we do, the other two will intercept us and counter," Touya stated. "If we can just distract them a moment…"

Touko was deep in thought. Another plan was formulating in her head, but it seemed like a risky gamble…

"I have another idea, but…" she trailed off, looking at Sir Wotterlot. His movements were jerky, as if he was having trouble moving. Touko thought back to the Lick, realizing it might have done more than just creeping out her Pokemon.

"Spit it out Touko," Cheren said. His tone was impatient and Touko realized just how much he wanted to win.

"Have Eliza pick up Sir Wotterlot into the air again. But this time, have her hold him directly overhead the Gym Leaders' Pokemon. While they're focused on Sir Wotterlot, Zula will have an opening to aim at the Pansear."

Cheren adjusted his glasses with a sigh, "It's worth a shot. Alright." He turned his attention back to the battlefield, calling out, "Eliza, lift Sir Wotterlot over the opponents!"

With a shrill cry, Eliza obliged, thrusting the surprised Oshawott into the air. The sudden move drew the monkies' eyes to the squirming water Pokemon, but a voice broke them all out of their trance.

"Zula, Water Gun!"

Caught off guard, Pansear was unable to dodge the powerful jet of water, flying back once again. It crashed to the ground and rolled across the dirt before slumping down, unmoving. After a moment, the referee raised his right flag, calling out, "Pansear is unable to battle! Gym Leader Chili is out!"

Chili had a frown that did not quite reach his eyes, running a hand through his hair, "Ah is that so? Such a pity, but no matter. Keep going my brothers!" he cheered, a grin returning to his face. He pulled out his Poke ball to return his fallen companion.

Relief coursed through the Trainers as they heard the referee's verdict. Their greatest threat was gone, but their Pokemon were already worked to their limit. Finishing off two stronger opponents was going to be a challenge.

"No time to relax guys," Cheren said through gritted teeth.

Touko nodded, quickly saying, "Cheren, have Eliza drop Sir Wotterlot off behind the Pokemon!"

Eliza did as Cheren commanded and Sir Wotterlot was dropped off behind his enemies, who now looked between their opponents at both their sides.

"Touya!" Touko urged, sending a silent command to her brother. With a nod, Touya and Touko both called out, "Water Gun on the Pansage!"

Two Water Guns flew towards the Grass Monkey Pokemon, who dodged up into the air. With a sudden idea, Cheren called out, "Grab it with your Vine Whip, Eliza!"

The vines shot out once again, encircling Pansage's waist. It cried out in surprise, but did not miss Cilan's command. "Scratch on the vines!"

Claws sliced across Eliza's appendages, causing the Snivy to cry out in pain. The vines slackened their hold and the Pansage fell from her grasp.

Touko yelled out, "Jump and Tackle, Sir Wotterlot!"

"Panpour, intercept that Oshawott with Water Gun!"

"Zula, counter the attack with Water Gun!"

A flurry of motions happened simultaneously as Sir Wotterlot gathered all of its strength for a powerful leap towards the falling Pansage. Zula's Water Gun left her mouth a moment after Panpour's did and managed to connect at the last moment, cutting through the attack and diverting its path. Cilan quickly ordered, a bit desperately, "Pansage, Scratch when the Oshawott is close!"

Touko grinned, "Sir Wotterlot, Water Gun!"

With a Trainer like Touko, Sir Wotterlot had developed quick reflexes to cater to her sporadic commands. As he watched the attack stream from his mouth and connect with the shocked Pansage, he was glad he had those reflexes.

The Pansage rocketed to the ground, crashing straight into the dirt. The Water Gun would probably not have knocked it out, but combined with the powerful collision, the poor Grass Monkey Pokemon could not stay conscious. Sir Wotterlot landed on the field, panting heavily. The referee raised his red flag, indictating the Trainers success again, "Pansage is unable to battle! Gym Leader Cilan is out!"

Cilan sighed before returning his Pansage. "Incredible. I've rarely see a Pokemon react quite so quickly at a command." He closed his eyes and smiled. "Such a hasty nature…it matches quite well with his Trainer. I suppose I cannot call this a complete loss, having seen such a couple." His voice was full of confidence again, but when he opened his eyes, his smile turned uncertain again. "Cress, we may have met our match."

The blue-haired man chuckled, "Perhaps, but I will not back down. As long as my Panpour stands, I have no intention of quitting and neither is my Panpour." Thrusting his arm out, Cress called, "Panpour, Work Up and increase your strength!"

Panpour gave a cry of acknowledgment and started to flex and stretch its muscles, never taking its eyes off its opponents.

Cheren adjusted his glasses and said, "If it's any consolation, I'd like to handle this last one myself."

Touya shrugged as Touko puffed out her cheeks, "But it's about teamwork isn't it?"

"Come on Touko, there's only one left. And Eliza barely had a chance to fight." Cheren's voice had a tone of finality in it, so Touko's counter died in her throat. She watched impatiently as Cheren called out, "Leer!"

Eliza gave a withering glare at Panpour. The Spray Pokemon slowed its Work Up momentarily at Eliza's chilling gaze.

Cress chuckled, "Going solo huh? So be it. Panpour, run up and Scratch!"

Cheren gave no order, only watching as the Panpour dashed towards Eliza. The Snivy never once ended her glare, standing her ground with an air of superiority. As the Panpour swiped a clawed paw at Eliza, she hopped to the side without waiting for Cheren to give her a command. She had understood that if he made no order, it was simply because he wanted her to only dodge. She dodged each swipe that was aimed at her effortlessly, despite being fatigued. A smirk graced her face, angering the Panpour. It lunged at Eliza, claws glinting.

Cheren's eyes twinkled, and he yelled, "Eliza! Jump!"

The Panpour swiped at thin air as the Snivy used her Vine Whip to propel herself into the air. The Panpour tripped and fell on the ground, giving Cheren the exact opportunity he needed. "Vine Whip!"

Before Cress could get a word in, Eliza pulled back her vines and snapped them downwards. The crack of the whips were drowned out by the cries of the Panpour. The Vine Whip seemed to have a detrimental effect on it, as it slumped to the ground after a few strikes, not getting back up.

Silence hovered over the field. The referee raised his red flag one last time, proclaiming, "Panpour is unable to battle. The battle is over! Victory goes to the challengers!"

Touko gave a loud whoop, leaping into the air. Cheren smiled and adjusted his glasses. Touya's face had his usual enigmatic smile. Up in the balcony, Belle was cheering loudly.

Cress returned his Panpour before addressing the Trainers, "Well this is certainly a surprise. To be honest, I had not expected all of our Pokemon to be taken down without any losses on your side. You three have exceptional teamwork. This is the first time we were taken down like this. We must commend you." The triplets started to walk over to the victors, stopping in front of them.

"By Gym Rules, we will award each of the winners with a cash prize and a badge!" Chili added with a fiery grin.

Cilan nodded timidly as he pulled three badges from within his pocket. "This is the Trio Badge," he smiled, "It is proof that you were victorious against the Striaton City Gym. It is yours!" He handed a badge to each teenager.

Touko held it up with a grin, watching the light reflect off the gold lining. Chili reached into his apron pocket and pulled out three envelopes. "This is your cash prize. Go ahead and take it! Congratulations, challengers!"

"Thank you for the exciting battle. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Please do come back to visit sometime," Cress finished. All three brothers bowed gracefully to the trio of teenagers. After thanking the brothers and allowing them to escort them out of the field, the four friends left the gym, each with their first Gym Badge in their hands.

"Man, that was a rush!" Touko exclaimed, stretching out her limbs. "I've never felt so dang excited or nervous in my life! I can't wait for our next Gym match!"

Belle chirped, "You guys were great! I wish you could have seen my match!"

Touko clapped her hand on Belle's back, "We'll watch you at the next Gym! Wait, where is that anyways?" She turned to Cheren, expecting him to know the answer.

Confidently, he replied. "It's in the next town over. It is about a week's journey away though, so we will need to stock up and prepare. Also," he pulled out his cell phone. "I think it's about time we made a call home, just so we can let our parents know how we are doing."

Belle pursed her lips and made no comment to his suggestion. After a moment, she blurted, "Oh! Let's go heal your Pokemon first!" She tugged on Touko's arm, pulling her away towards the Pokemon Center. Touya watched the two girls go, a question in his eyes. However, it faded as fast as it had come.

He felt Cheren clap a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go. I fear we will lose them again."

* * *

"Man, the Dreamyard is still a good five miles away? And Master Ghetsis is absolutely sure about this?" the man complained.

"Yes Seth. Musharna lived there for many years anyways. It would make sense if it went back there," his companion, a woman wearing a similar outfit, replied as they were walking down the streets of Striaton.

"We've been traveling since yesterday though…can't we take a break first Sandra?" Seth sighed.

"And face Ghetsis's wrath? No thank you," scowled Sandra.

The couple of grunts strutted down the street, earning strange looks from passersby, no doubt from the uniform they sported. They looked like medieval knights, but wore their uniforms proudly, a symbol of their employment under Team Plasma. They passed by an electronics store, where various television sets were on display, each showing the same news channel.

Sandra stopped and watched the television, grinning maliciously. "Hey Seth, check this out." The news reporter was announcing another story, but a familiar face caught her eye.

_Today, a boy was found unconscious and severely wounded on Route 2. The boy, identified as Joey Yount, age 11, was found on the side of the road. It appears that he was attacked by a Pokemon, but investigators are trying to determine whether it was the work of wild Pokemon or domesticated Pokemon. The boy was admitted to Accumula Hospital and is currently in critical condition. Travellers are advised to be stay off the road until further information can be uncovered. Now, in other news, the-_

Seth chuckled, "Ah, our handiwork. Lucky lad, he actually had someone find him."

Sandra rolled her eyes and started to walk away, "Come on, let's go. We have no time to waste."

"But what about our break?"

"Honestly, you're such a lazy bastard, Seth."

* * *

**A/N: Man, sorry for the long wait! I was busy-busy this week, but I'm going to try and update weekly from now on! The next month and a half will be really busy for me, but I'm really getting into this story now. XD I hope I didn't bore anyone with the dull battle scene. I realized that Incinerates, Water Guns, and Vine Whips probably can't draw much blood. **

**I do hope this chapter gives you guys some food for thought. I'm slowly developing this story out! Next chapter will be the Dreamyard episode…and it will most certainly be more interesting.**

**Until next time!**

**Cheers!**

**~Alexie**


	9. Ch 8: Nightmares

**A/N: Some violence and swearing ahead, just to warn ya'll. **

**I came up with names for the teens' parents, as well as last names. I'll explain them at Author's Note at the end.**

* * *

_Chapter 8: Nightmares_

* * *

_September 19, 2010 - Three Days Ago_

On the morning of the teenager's departure, Kenneth Foster woke up later than usual. In fact, he felt unusually groggy. Groaning, he shoved the covers off of his body and sluggishly got to his feet. Nothing seemed to really register in his mind as the tall man lumbered from his room and downstairs to the kitchen.

His wife, Rena, was already awake and cooking breakfast. When her husband came into the room, she seemed to tense slightly. "Good morning Ken. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes!" She did not turn to him, as if completely preoccupied with the egg she was frying.

With a grunt of acknowledgement, Ken sat down, blinking the sleep out of his eyes with little success. He noticed that it was nearly noontime, but also noticed his daughter was not at the table. "Where's Belle? It's unusual of her to still be sleeping. Is she really that upset about not getting to go with her friends?" When his wife did not answer, he growled, "She needs to understand that she isn't ready for something like this. There are a lot of horrible people out there that can harm her! She's simply not ready." He got up and headed out of the kitchen. "I'll go wake her up," he declared.

Rena sighed, continuing to cook her breakfast. She was not surprised in the least when she heard her husband's roar a moment later.

"BELLENA ANNE FOSTER!"

Rena barely had time to sigh before her husband was back at the threshold of the kitchen, huffing in anger. "Where is that young lady?" Ken demanded, teeth gritted in anger.

"She left on her Pokemon journey three hours ago with her friends," Rena sighed, scooping the eggs onto a plate.

"And you LET her go?" Ken roared, throwing his arms into the air.

Rena brought the plates of food to the table and sat down. "Well of course. She wanted to go, she was packed and ready, and it would be a good experience for her." She began to eat her food.

"P…pac, re, ready…go…good experience?" the enraged man sputtered, completely flabbergasted. "You _endorse_ this?" he gaped. "Hell, did you _help _her?"

"Yes. Yes I did, _Kenneth_." She looked at him, firmly continuing, "Our daughter is eighteen years old. You can't keep treating her like she's only 5. She's capable of taking care of herself and she's with her three best friends. They'll all take care of each other. Most importantly, this would be an opportunity for her to grow as a woman. Most people go on a journey sooner or later, whether it be the Pokemon journey or something else. Do you really think that Belle would have stayed put when her best friends are going?" Having finished speaking, she went back to her breakfast, eating nonchalantly.

"Do you hear yourself speak? Rena, this is utterly ridiculous! I'm going to hunt her down right now!" In his dizzied rage, he turned around and smacked his head into the threshold. Giving a grunt of pain, he clutched at his head, stumbling towards the dining table.

Rena watched in exasperation, commanding, "Sit. You will NOT hunt your own daughter like she's some prized Unfezant. Sit and eat your breakfast. You most certainly don't look like you can go out anytime soon.

Still clutching his head, Kenneth Foster angrily stabbed his food and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing furiously. Arceus, if only his head was not so muddled this morning! What was wrong with it?

Rena finished her breakfast and announced that she was going over to her friend's house. Without waiting for a reply from her husband, she placed her dishes in the sink, slipped her sandals on, and left the house.

After walking a short distance, she arrived at the porch of Olivia Clearwater's house. After she ran the doorbell, Olivia, a woman with wavy brown hair, opened the door. "Rena! What a surprise. How are you today?" she said, stepping aside to gesture her friend into her house.

"Fine, I suppose. Missing Belle already." She sighed, walking into the house. "So how about Touya and Touko? How do you feel about them going on their journey?"

Olivia smiled sadly, "Well, I do miss them already as well, but they were just so excited. For that, I'm happy for them." She walked over to her couch before raising her eyebrows. "So how did your husband react?"

"Ken exploded when he found out, as expected. But the man needs to learn to let Belle go."

"Belle is a lucky girl, to have been able to sneak out like that. Ken is always such an early riser."

Rena pursed her lips, shifting her eyes all around. She leaned in towards Olivia, whispering, "I spiked Ken's drink with a sleeping drug last night. He only just woke up half an hour ago."

Olivia gaped at Rena's words before bursting into loud laughter. After seeing the sparkling look in Olivia's eyes, Rena smiled, now very glad that she had done what she had done. She only hoped that Belle was enjoying herself.

"Oh yes! I just remembered, Amy came by earlier. Apparently, Eric had bought a present for the kids and had her come over to deliver them." She gestured to the table.

With a whistle, Rena commented, "How typical of Eric Flynn. That man spoils his son with electronics."

"Well, Cheren isn't the only one to get them. He got one for each our children too."

Rena pursed her lips, "Well, the kids already left. How are we going to deliver it to them?"

Olivia whipped out her cellphone, starting to dial a number. "We can always call and find out where they are. I'll just drive over to find them." She held the phone to her ear, but pulled away after half a minute with a frown. "How strange…Touko isn't answering."

"Well…" Rena go up, heading towards the door, "I'm worried Ken will chase after Belle, so I should head back."

Olivia nodded, following her friend out. "Alright. Goodbye Rena. You know," Olivia crossed her arms with a smirk, "Putting sleeping pills into you a guy's drink…I thought you stopped doing that after college?" For a moment, she flashed a teasing grin at Rena, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over her.

Rena chuckled, "It's not like I DID something to him this time…"

* * *

_September 22, 2010 - Present Time_

"Yeah Mommy! I got a Gym Badge!" Touko chirped into her cellphone, grinning widely.

"That's great dear! My goodness, you guys traveled fast! I figured you would still be in Accumula, checking out the sights. I remembered I had stayed there a day or two before moving on, but you guys only passed by, huh?" Her mother replied.

Olivia had been frantic that neither of her twins had called the day after they left for their travels and practically pounced on the phone when it rang. She was genuinely surprised that they had moved on so quickly. Knowing Touko and Belle, they would have begged to stay and explore the town a bit more.

"Oh Cheren had really wanted to move on to Striaton and go to the Gym there! It sounded pretty interesting, so I decided to go as well!" her daughter explained.

Of course it was Cheren. Now it made sense. "I know you probably want to head over to the next city, but do you guys think you can stay put for the rest of the day? I want to swing by and give you guys something. I'll be driving, so it won't take me too long to get over there. So please stay! I don't want to hunt you guys down all the way to Nacrene!" laughed Olivia. "Besides, I only have this chance to sneak out."

Touko raised her eyebrows, "Sneak out? What do you mean?"

"Well…Belle's father isn't in a very good mood right now…I'm sure you know why. Us mothers are trying our best to get around him. So stay put! I love you dear! I'll see you later today! Bye!"

Touko started laughing, "Alright, I will Mommy! Bye bye!" She hung up the phone, giggling to herself. Everyone had Belle's back and she was glad of that.

Cheren had just gotten off his phone with his parents as well, smiling brightly. "Sounds like Mother has a present for us. She said that your mother is going to deliver it." He nodded to Touko.

Curious, Touko asked, "What is it? What're we gunna get?"

Raising his eyebrows, Cheren teased, "I can't tell you. It's got to be a surprise."

"Oh no, you're not going to giving me any of this 'surprise' crap. Tell me what sh-"

"Cheren Flynn, Touko Clearwater, Touya Clearwater, Belle Foster, your Pokemon are fully healed! You may pick them up at the main counter at this time!" A voice chimed out from the intercom.

Cheren pointed at the loudspeaker, smiling slyly before getting up from his seat and walking out of the cafeteria. Touko narrowed her eyes and growled, chewing her food with a scowl.

Belle sipped her drink dreamily. "I wonder what we're gunna get!" Touya, who was relaxing against the back of his chair, shrugged his shoulders.

"Cheren's so stupid. I hate it when he does that. Arceus." She growled, finishing her food. "I'm going to get my Pokemon," she announced before running out of the room. Belle got up and followed her out, Touya in tow.

At the main hall, the teens retrieved their Pokemon. As they were about to leave, a woman burst into the Pokemon Center, her pink flats clacking against the floor. Nurse Ophelia immediately stood up, asking, "Professor Fennel, what's wrong?"

Professor Fennel was a petite woman with a baby face. The bangs of her long flowing black hair were pulled back by a flower pin, revealing a large scar on her forehead. A pair of glasses sat on her nose, clearly showing the worried eyes behind them. She clutched at her long white lab coat and cried, "My Munna is gone! She's been acting strange since yesterday, constantly glowing and whining, but then she suddenly disappeared just now. I haven't seen this kind of activity for years! Not since-!" she trailed off, fists closing even tighter. "I think Munna went back there. She has to be there!"

Nurse Ophelia knitted her eyebrows in genuine worry, "This isn't good. That site is still a dangerous zone. We cannot authorize the sending of persons there at the moment."

Touko, unable to contain her curiosity, asked, "Woah, woah, what's going on?"

The two woman looked at her, surprised by her interruption. "Who are you?"

Touko placed her hands on her hips with a sly grin. "Just a passing trainer. The name's Touko Clearwater. This is my brother Touya." She gestured to her twin, who waved casually.

"I'm Belle Foster!" The blonde chirped.

"My name is Cheren Flynn." The raven haired boy sighed, knowing he should not be interfering.

Professor Fennel's eyes opened in recognition, "Did you say Clearwater?" Her eyes scanned over Touya, blinking in surprise, "Do you happen to be related to Devin Clearwater?"

It was the twins' turn to be surprised. "How do you know our father?" Touko asked cautiously.

"Your father? Oh dear…" Fennel scratched her cheek, regret written across her face. "Perhaps I should explain from the beginning. My name is Professor Fennel. Twenty years ago, I was interning under my father with a project called Dreams for Energy. Devin Clearwater was one of the researchers, which is why I knew him."

She paused to see their stunned reactions before continuing, "With immense funding from Team Plasma, we began to research the Pokemon Munna and the properties of dream energy. However, the project did not end pleasantly. Seven years ago, our research lab was destroyed…by…well…" She fell silent, unable to finish the thought. The look on the twins' faces made her stop. She softly finished, "I'm sorry…"

"The accident…that killed our father," Touko breathed. Touya twitched, shoving his hands into his pockets. Both of them had heard the sad news of their father's passing seven years ago. They did not know the details about his death, but they did know about the place he was killed in.

Fennel nodded solemnly, repeating in a whisper, "I'm so sorry…"

Seeing that Touko and Touya had nothing else to say, Fennel finished, "No one has gone near that site since then. But I had taken one of the surviving Munna home with me and I noticed that she has been acting strangely since yesterday. I figured that she had teleported back to the site of the old lab. I need to go there, Nurse Ophelia!" Fennel looked at her with pleading eyes.

The nurse shook her head, reasoning, "Professor, there are many wild Pokemon in the area now, with enhanced strength from the residual dream energy from the explosion. We cannot allow civilians near there!"

"But-"

"We can go with her."

All heads snapped to the voice. Touya continued, "We have strong Pokemon with us. We all beat the Striaton Gym Leaders. If Professor Fennel wants to go, we can go as her bodyguards. Besides." He looked at his sister, who nodded in reply, "We want to see this place."

Nurse Ophelia was silent, biting her lip. She would certainly be in trouble if she authorized the group to go to the lab, but she could not help but feel pity for the twins. She was also a close friend of Fennel's, and seeing her friend in distress upset the nurse.

Finally, she nodded slowly, but cautioned, "Be careful. I'll give you some extra medical supplies, but you need to watch out for yourselves." She dug around her desk area and handed Professor Fennel a first aid kit for humans and Pokemon. "If you receive an injury, return immediately. The Pokemon in that area are pernicious." She gave the Trainers one last glance before nodding. "Now hurry along before it gets dark."

"Thank you Nurse Ophelia!" Fennel bowed, before turning to the teens. "We'll take my car. It's the fastest way to the Dreamyard."

Touko grabbed Touya's hand, biting her lip. Touya glanced at his sister before squeezing her hand tightly. With a nod, Touko affirmed, "To the Dreamyard."

* * *

"Munna and its rare evolved form, Musharna, are both Pokemon that can extract dreams from humans and Pokemon alike. Now, dreams actually contain a very powerful energy, a form of electromagnetic energy created from the brainwaves of a sleeping living being. When the body's functions slow down, more energy is sustained in the brain, therefore enhancing these waves. Munna and Musharna have the ability to harness these dreams and extract their power from the brain," Fennel explained to the teens as she drove. They were in Fennel's spacious van, and were speeding towards the Dreamyard.

"This energy was nearly flawless. It was clean and produced no emissions or radiation. The dreams just evaporated into the air once the energy was used up. In fact, we tried to find out where the dreams go, but they just disappear. It breaks the law of conservation of energy. Not only that, but it provides more energy than burning coal or fossil fuels, without the potential hazards of using nuclear energy. It was the perfect energy source. The only problem was that it was difficult to create this energy. A person is always dreaming in their sleep, but how many people would we need to extract dreams from to create enough energy to actually power a town or city? How will we find a way to replicate Munna and Musharna's abilities? That's what we tried to find out."

"Did the project fail because of these difficulties?" Cheren asked, interested.

Fennel took a turn onto a forest road, heading up an incline. "Actually, not at all. We were making good progress. We had made good work in our first years of research, although some of our Munna and one of our Musharna, suddenly disappeared. Then, seven years ago, our funds suddenly dried up."

Fennel curled her lips. "Team Plasma just suddenly cut their support and stopped funding our project. The Musharna that had gone missing returned shortly after, but for some reason, it went berserk and began wreaking havoc. Its suppressed dream energy exploded, destroying our lab." She paused, remembering the horrid scene afterwards. She shook her head lightly to clear her memories, "Then, the Musharna was gone again…and the scientists were either seriously wounded…or dead."

Only the sound of the tires running over the dirt road could be heard as everyone fell silent. Touko was staring blankly up ahead while Touya was gazed out of the window, watching the trees blur past. Cheren and Belle watched their two friends, expecting some kind of reaction.

Fennel opened her mouth to apologize, afraid she had said something wrong, but suddenly stopped the car and squinted her eyes. The car slowed down and the teens looked out of the windows to see what was going on. A man and a woman in Team Plasma uniforms were standing at the side of the road, looking rather tired.

"Hello Miss, may we ask where you are headed?" the woman asked.

With a frown, Fennel replied, "We are actually on our way to the Dreamyard. Normally, civilians aren't allowed to go there, but we have been giving special permission. It's unusual to see travelers out here." Her eyes widened when she saw the emblem on their uniforms. "Are you from Team Plasma?"

The woman nodded his head, "As if you had said, we are members of Team Plasma. My name is Sandra and this is Seth. It's a pleasure to meet you. Can you give us a ride to the Dreamyard then? We are headed there to report on the conditions of the area. We have heard reports of dangerous Pokemon living in the area and as part of Team Plasma, it is our duty to deal with them and ensure safety for both Pokemon and humans alike!" Both people bowed in unison.

Reluctantly, Fennel nodded and opened the door. With sighs of relief, both people entered the van, sitting down in any available seats. They were surprised by the presence of the four teens, but did not have a problem with sitting next to them.

"Oh boy, aren't we glad you showed up!" Seth sighed. "We've been walking for hours!"

"Seth, mind your etiquette," Sandra sighed. Her eyes wandered around the van, stopping on the twins for a moment before gazing forward again.

Touko and Touya suddenly tensed. An uncomfortable feeling settled on the twins, a feeling neither of them could explain. Perhaps it had something to do with the speech they heard in Accumula Town, but it was just a harmless gathering was it not? Nevertheless, they remained tense for the remainder of the car ride while their friends chatted with the newcomers.

* * *

If one were to imagine how wax looks like when it is melted, that was exactly what the old lab looked like. The chipped and cracked walls had numerous holes and charred marks. What remained of the second floor was weakly supported by shabby pillars. Bits of glass could be seen sticking out of the soil that now covered the floor. Weeds littered the surrounding area and the place seemed to radiate an eerie calm. There were no Pokemon in sight, which seemed to put the humans at rest.

Professor Fennel approached the ruins first, stepping cautiously through the rubble. She went through what appeared to be a gate. A twisted scrap of metal laid on the side, probably the once powerful gate. Seeing this destruction shocked everyone.

"This is the power of dream energy. It was a miracle that there were even survivors," Fennel clenched her fists. "Father died protecting me from the blast…but I still ended up with many broken bones and this scar on my forehead." She turned to the teenagers, her face hard. They could not help but stare at the scar in silence. The Team Plasma workers also stared, but their expressions showed no emotion. Turning back around, Fennel continued into the melted building.

Touko was silently looking around the ruins when she spotted something red on the walls. She noticed there were numerous such dark red splatters along the walls and ground. In shock, she realized what they were and gasped.

Touya must have realized what they were too, for a soft growl sounded from his throat. Disgusted, Cheren looked straight forward, trying his best not to look at the blood-stained walls of the lab. Belle whimpered, "T…Touko is that…?"

Touko did not answer her, only walking faster. Belle suddenly stopped, unable to go on. Tears were started to form at her eyes and she shook her head, "I can't look at this anymore…all those poor people…"

A warm hand slipped into hers and she blinked in surprise as Touya tugged her along. His grip was hard on hers and for the second time in her life, Belle saw sadness in his eyes. With a nod, she allowed herself to be pulled along by Touya.

The Team Plasma men looked around at the damage, appearing not be disturbed at all. They were writing notes in notepads they had brought along, mumbling amongst themselves. They were scanning the ruins, as if looking for something.

The group arrived into the center of the ruins. Rubble, broken glass and dirt carpeted the floor. Fennel gazed around the lab, calling out, "Munna! Munna, are you here?"

"Munnn!"

Fennel's head whipped in the direction of the high pitch squeal and she yelled, "Munna? Is that you?" Carefully, she ran about the lab, looking for her Pokemon. Sandra and Seth suddenly seemed interested as another cry from the Munna sounded. Fennel turned around a crumbled wall and saw her Pokemon, floating about, as if confused.

"Oh Munna, you are here!" Professor Fennel reached for her Pokemon, who flinched away in fear. The teens and Team Plasma grunts had reached her in the meantime.

Belle squealed when she saw the Munna, letting go of Touya's hand. "Oh my goodness, you're so cute!"

She made a move to run towards it, but Seth's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Sandra spoke up. "Miss, we have to ask you to step away from that Munna. It could be a potential danger." Seth nodded in agreement, still holding onto Belle.

"But…this is my own Pokemon!" Fennel argued, staring in surprise.

Sandra shook her head, "No Miss. We need you to stand down. That Pokemon was found here. It could be a menace. It is best to just let us capture it and take it back. We want to make sure no more dangerous Pokemon are in this area." Her voice was becoming increasingly cold.

"Th…this is absurd! This is MY Pokemon!" Fennel complained, standing in front of her Munna.

"Ma'am, do you want another accident from seven years ago to happen?"

Fennel flinched at the last remark, but remained obstinate. "You said you were only here to take data and handle dangerous Pokemon! I know my own Pokemon when I see it. I refuse to let you take her!" Professor Fennel was angry. This was one of the few remaining Munna from the project and she was determined to take care of it.

"Jeez, this bitch is persistent," Seth growled, tightening his grip on Belle's wrist. She winced, tugging to get away. Before anyone realized what was happening, Seth had yanked Belle to him and grabbed her around the neck with his other arm.

"Belle!" Touko gasped, starting to lurch towards her. Touya's eyes quickly scanned the ground and he found a pipe, which he picked up in one swift motion, expertly gripping it like a sword. Cheren started towards Belle as well, but Seth smirked at all the opposition. The Team Plasma man pressed a knife against Belle's neck, causing a round of shocked gasps to fill the air. Everyone froze, watching Seth hold Belle at knifepoint.

"Drop the weapon, little boy," he snarled at Touya. "And back off, the rest of ya."

Hesitantly, everyone did as they were told. Touya's poker face broke, showing genuine anger and fear. Belle was breathing loudly, clutching Seth's arm with her free hand.

Professor Fennel sputtered, "L…let go of her this instant!"

"I don't think you quite understand your position, _lady_." Sandra smirked, pulling out a Poke ball. She threw it up, releasing a Purrloin. It mewed maliciously, staring at Professor Fennel with bloodthirsty eyes. "We were sent here on orders to recapture Musharna. Our superior told us it could be found at the Dreamyard. We were also ordered to capture any Munna we see and collect data on the condition of this place. Now." She took a threatening step forward, "Move, or be moved." The Munna watched on in worry, whimpering quietly.

Professor Fennel flinched, but shook her head, declaring, "I will not let you touch my Munna!" She held her arms out protectively, glaring at Sandra and her Purrloin.

Sandra grimaced, snapping her fingers. Purrloin lunged forward, claws raised. Fennel gasped, feeling her legs turn numb. She could not move, only able to squeeze her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to come. However, she did not feel the searing cut of the Purrloin's claws digging into her flesh. Instead, she heard the Purrloin screech, and her eyes opened just in time to see the Munna attacking the enemy with a swirling mass of green energy. It exploded on the Purrloin and sent it flying back.

Fennel blinked in surprise at her Munna's Energy Ball. She had never used Munna in a battle and had never actually seen it battle either. The Purrloin leapt back, shaking its head. It hissed angrily, preparing to attack again. Before it could, though, Munna opened its mouth, releasing another green ball of energy. The Energy Ball hit the Purrloin, exploding once again. Purrloin was slower in standing back up this time.

Sandra scoffed, clenching her fists. "Purrloin! Assist!"

The Devious Pokemon growled, opening its mouth wide. Sharp fangs were revealed as the Purrloin took a bounding leap, snapping its jaws close on Munna's head. In shock, the Dream Eater Pokemon squealed, shooting off pink beams in random directions.

Touko jumped out of the way of a stray beam, exclaiming, "What's it doing?"

Cheren dodged an attack as well, replying, "That's Psybeam! Shit, Munna's going outta control!"

One of the Psybeams shot straight towards Seth and Belle. The male Team Plasma grunt tried to dodge the attack and escaped it in just the nick of time. Unfortunately, his knife pressed against Belle's neck, cutting into her skin. Belle gave out a sharp cry, surprising the man.

In all the chaos, his grip on Belle had loosened and Cheren took the opportunity to launch his attack. He rushed up to him, grabbed the man's knife hand and twisted it into a complex arm bar, sedating the vicious man. Belle crumpled to her knees, clutching at her neck. Touya and Touko were at her side in an instant.

"Shit, Belle!" Touko swore, pulling her friend's hand from her neck. Luckily, it seemed like the knife had missed her artery and the blood was not flowing too freely. Professor Fennel yelled, "Kids! Here!" She chucked the first aid kit she was holding at the teens. The box crashed into the ground, spilling its contents.

Without a second thought, Touya grabbed a disinfecting cloth and some bandages. He got to work, cleaning the blood off of Belle's neck as quickly as he could before wrapping bandages around the wound. He ignored her whimpers of pain as he worked, knowing full well that he had no time to stop in this situation.

The blood had slowed, but it could be seen staining the cotton of the bandages. "Keep your hand on there, press down, and don't move," he instructed Belle, grabbing her hand and placing it back on her neck. His face was shaded by his hat, hiding the anger in his eyes, but not in his voice. The dazed blonde nodded slightly, not quite sure what just happened. Her vision was blacking around the edges and she felt her head swim from the shock.

Touko was still concerned with her friend, completely ignoring the situation around her. "Belle are you ok?" she exclaimed, watching her friend carefully.

Dazed and lightheaded, Belle slurred, "I…I think so…" She looked over at the Munna with dizzy eyes. Even so, she could tell that the poor Pokemon was still trying to recover from the previous attack, but Purrloin was no longer attacking.

Sandra realized that the situation had just turned on her and Seth, now that their hostage was freed. Seth was face-down in the dirt now, grunting in pain from the arm bar that Cheren kept him in. Cheren regarded Seth with cold eyes, "Douche, look who's the hostage now." He cranked Seth's wrist back, inducing a loud scream from him.

The male grunt snarled, "Great fucking job, Sandra. That Bite worked wonders on that shitty Munna."

"Asswipe. My Purrloin just got it from your Patrat. It's not her fault that you're in such a pathetic situation," Sandra snarled. She made some finger gestures, and within the next second, the Purrloin had dashed over to Cheren, leapt up, and slashed his arms with her claws. Cheren yelped in pain, releasing his hold on Seth. Despite the pain, Seth scrambled away, getting back onto his feet. His hand flew to his Pokemon at the same time that Cheren, Touya, and Touko reached for theirs.

Sandra and Seth knew when they were outnumbered. If this group was willing to come out to a site like this, they must have been confident in their Pokemon and numbers. They knew escape was not likely and even at a disadvantage, fighting seemed like the best option.

Of course, no one ever said anything about playing fair.

"Patrat! Bite the blonde girl!" Seth ordered as his Pokemon materialized from a blue light. The Scout Pokemon made a beeline towards Belle, jaws open slightly in preparation for attack.

Using Seth's distraction, Sandra called, "Purrloin, get Munna with your Scratch!"

With two enemy Pokemon going in opposite directions at the same time, the teens were caught off guard for once. They were never in a situation where the trainers would try underhanded tricks.

"Sir Wotterlot, Water Gun!" Touko yelled as her Oshawott appeared. Sir Wotterlot puffed out his cheeks and aimed at the Patrat, releasing the stream of water. However, the Patrat leapt into the air, effectively dodging the Water Gun, and used Bite on the Oshawott instead. Blood trickled from the Bite wound, sending Sir Wotterlot into a pained frenzy.

Seth chuckled, "Don't take my Patrat lightly. He's very speedy." The Sea Otter Pokemon angrily shook the Patrat off, shoving the Pokemon away. The two Pokemon glared at each other, readying for a fight.

Cheren released Eliza, ordering her to use Vine Whip on the Purrloin. The Purrloin never reached the Munna before it was dragged back by the Snivy. Eliza grabbed the Purrloin by the tail with one vine while she smacked her with the other. With a hiss, the Purrloin slashed at Eliza's Vine Whip with her claws, causing the Snivy to wince in pain. Nonetheless, the effort gave Fennel and her Munna a chance to get to safety, near the teens.

Belle, realizing she was an easy target, shakily got to her feet. Professor Fennel helped the poor girl up while Munna hovered around her, whimpering. Belle looked at the bruised and bleeding Munna, smiling sadly, "Oh, Munna, you're hurt! Know what? Let me get you something to heal you…"

She started to dig through her bag, trying to focus her vision, but Fennel protested, "Belle, you have to rest! This isn't the time t-"

"Here it is!" she grinned, pulling out a small purple bottle. After fumbling with the nozzle, she sprayed the contents on Munna's wounds. "There, all better right?"

Munna was confused. It sensed that the girl before her was injured and disoriented and yet she was so willing to help her. Belle smiled at the Munna, gently patting her. "I'll be your bodyguard this time, ok?" Belle was about to release her Pokemon, but realized that the battle was almost over.

Patrat did not stand a chance when Touya took out Zula. Combined, the Oshawott duo took him down easily. Purrloin was starting to lose consciousness, fatigue setting in. Odds were not good for the Team Plasma grunts, but Sandra wanted to continue fighting. If only she had brought her gun…

"Purrloin, us-"

"That's quite enough," a familiar voice said.

All eyes shot to the side, where a green-haired man stood in his regal robes. Everyone recognized him immediately, especially the two grunts.

"M…Master Ghetsis!" Seth and Sandra cried out.

Ghetsis narrowed his eyes, "Our job is to liberate Pokemon, not attack the Trainers. I believe your work is done here today. Head back to headquarters immediately." His tone was even and calm, but his face betrayed furious emotions.

Recognizing the chastising expression, the grunts stammered, "Y…Yes Master Ghetsis! We are sorry!" before returning their Pokemon and dashing away.

"Wait! Get the hell back here, bastards!" Touko yelled out.

Cheren reared on Ghetsis. "With all due respect sir, those people ju-"

His voice trailed off as Ghetsis started to disappear. Everyone watched in shock as the Plasma executive dissolved into thin air.

"W…what the hell?" Touko exclaimed, clutching at her face. "Humans can't disappear like that!"

Cheren narrowed his eyes, coming to a realization, "I don't think that was the real Ghetsis. In fact, it might be an illusion. Such illusions aren't uncommon amongst Psychic Pokemon."

"Like Musharna!" Fennel cried out, eyes widening. She pointed at a section of the lab, drawing the attention of the teens. A Musharna floated out from behind a wall, crooning softly.

Silence fell over the group. Fennel bit her lip, remembering what the Pokemon had done all those years before. Everyone watched Musharna as it floated over to them. Up close, the group saw that there were scars all over the Pokemon's body. This came as a shock to the group.

Musharna glanced at the teens. Munna had been the only reason that she had come out in the first place. Musharna had planned to stay in hiding until the grunts were gone, but saw that Munna was in trouble and could not just stand by. It had created the illusion of Ghetsis to scare Sandra and Seth away. It figured it could trust the humans, since Munna seemed to trust them. As Musharna floated over, however, its eyes widened.

With a cry of joy, it zoomed towards Touya, nuzzling against the surprised boy. It could not believe its eyes. He was the person from its vision, the person who had taken care of it before Team Plasma took it away, and the person that it thought had been killed.

But here he was, alive. Musharna could not be happier. It cooed as it continued to nuzzle Touya affectionately, causing the boy to become very uneasy.

Everyone jumped in surprise at the gesture. Fennel was about to restrain the Pokemon, but saw that it was so harmless. In the back of her mind, she remembered the days when Musharna would nuzzle against her as happily as it did now…

"Well, it seems Musharna has taken a liking to you. I'm not quite sure why, but it's clearly very happy with you," Professor Fennel stated with a frown. The Munna squealed in agreement, content with being held by Belle.

"So…what do I do?" Touya asked, trying his best not to flinch at the contact with the Musharna.

Professor Fennel contemplated the option of having Touya take Musharna as his own Pokemon, but realized it was too risky. If it were to go into a frenzy again, the children would all be in danger.

"I think you should take Musharna with you. I mean…look at it. The poor thing has been really hurt." Belle frowned, referring to the scars.

Cheren crossed his arms, asking, "But is this not the same Musharna involved in the accident many years ago? Is that really such a good idea?"

The twins froze up, wearily staring at the Musharna. This was their father's killer…the Pokemon that had caused his death.

Touko looked at the ground. "I don't…know…" Her twin seemed to be contemplating as well, finally taking a step away from the Psychic.

A long bout of silence followed before Touko spoke again. "I think…Touya should take it. It seems to like him…I mean." She looked at it, an uneasy smile on her face. "Maybe it didn't mean to destroy the lab. Maybe something happened to it during the time it was gone and it was only crazy because of that. I mean…it's definitely been abused. That's probably why…"

Surprised by the depth of her words, Cheren mumbled, "I suppose that's one way to look at it…but still…"

"Know what guys? He should take Musharna!" Belle walked over to Musharna, petting it with her hand. Musharna crooned happily, nuzzling Belle as well. "See, its so sweet! Nothing this cute could be evil!" Belle declared with confidence. "It just needs someone to love it and take care of it!"

Cheren sighed and readjusted his glasses. "In the end, it's not our decision. Touya gets to pick. So what'll it be?" Everyone looked at the male twin, waiting for his reply.

A multitude of emotions seemed to flare up within Touya as he contemplated his choices. "I…guess. I'll just train it and make sure that kind of accident never happens again," Touya said carefully, as if he chose his words carefully. He took out an empty Poke ball and turned to Professor Fennel. "Is that alright?"

Fennel twisted her lip, responding slowly, "If Musharna is alright with it, I suppose I am too."

Turning to Musharna, Touya held the Poke ball out, asking, "Do you want to come with me?"

Without hesistation, the Musharna pressed its nose against the button on the capsule and allowed itself to be sucked in, surprising all the onlookers. The Poke ball did not even shake, simply pinging to announce a successful capture.

Another quiet moment passed before Touya clipped the Poke ball back into his belt without another word. Professor Fennel frowned, still unsure about the outcome of the events. But at least she had found her Munna. However, as she reached for Munna, the little pink Pokemon started to whine, squeezing herself tighter against Belle.

"What's wrong Munna?" asked Belle, concerned. "Professor Fennel came all the way back here just to find you!"

Munna looked from Belle to Fennel before floating over to the Professor. It started to talk in its language, in words that Professor Fennel seemed to understand. However, Fennel's face became more upset as Munna spoke. With a sad nod, she said, "Munna said she wanted to go with you."

"Wait, why?" Belle gaped. "Isn't she your Pokemon?"

"She wants to be with Musharna and wants to be able to fight. I had no idea Munna enjoyed battling…" Sighing, she watched Munna float back to Belle.

"You can understand what Munna says?" she asked incredulously.

With a nod, Fennel replied, "I've work with these Pokemon for many years. You pick things up over time. But…" She gave a melancholy smile. "I'll miss having Munna around. Please take care of her."

Munna tried to nuzzle into Belle's arms again, but the blonde was reluctant. "But…"

"Please dear, Munna has chosen you. I don't want to be the one to say no to her. Please just take care of her and treat her well." She turned to Touya, "And take care of Musharna well too. I had forgotten how sweet she could be…maybe she still is." Fennel ran a finger over her scar, smiling sadly.

Professor Fennel looked around the ruined lab again before casting her eyes skyward. She watched the clouds float by, feeling the gentle flow of the wind, blowing the memories away from the ruined lab. She turned back to the teens, smiling peacefully. "Shall we head back?"

The four friends nodded and started to leave the lab. Belle hugged Munna to her, following after her friends. Touya and Touko offered their support to her, showing concern for their injured friend.

Once they passed the outer wall, the twins turned back to the lab, staring. Suddenly, they simultaneously bowed, closing their eyes. Fennel, Belle, and Cheren watched the siblings quietly, allowing them a moment to let the silent prayer in their hearts resonate. After a while, they stood back up and turned their backs on the Dreamyard and the foul memories it held.

* * *

**A/N: Blarg, I thought this chapter was quite poorly written, although I had a hell lotta fun with the Dreamyard scene. **

**As for the new character names, I can't really explain the first names. But I can explain the last names!**

**Belle's family name, Foster, comes from the word "foster," which means to gradually make something larger and better, etc. So why not? Belle is trying to find her path and better herself, is she not?**

**For Cheren's last name, Flynn, just look up the Flynn Effect. It's just a nerd thing. **

**As for Touko and Touya Clearwater, NO IT'S NOT TWILIGHT. OR HARRY POTTER. It's because their names mean something along the lines of "clear" and "pure," and they both use water Pokemon. Also, there's now another reason that works out quite perfectly…ehehe…xD **

**XD Thanks to those who review, and I hope to see more reviews!**

**Cheers!**

**~Alexie**


	10. Ch 9: Outage

_Chapter 9: Outage_

* * *

_September 26, 2010_

The Poke ball snapped closed and began to shake. However, the fatigued Pokemon within stood no chance of escaping. The telltale click alerted the Trainer of a successful capture and Cheren smiled smugly as a shower of stars exploded from the center of the capsule.

"I've finally bested one of these ridiculous Purrloins," he announced, clipping the Poke ball back onto his belt with satisfaction. He gingerly rubbed the Scratch wound he had received from the crazy Team Plasma member's Purrloin at the Dreamyard.

Behind him, Touko chortled, "Cheren, it's so lame how a small purple cat always kicks your ass."

With a roll of his eyes, Cheren retorted, "And I've learned from that! These little things have powerful potential. I'm pleased to have one on my team." He turned to walk back on path, where Touya and Belle had been watching his battle.

Touko hopped after him, still giggling. Belle congratulated Cheren on his capture, fiddling with the new scarf around her neck. Touya had gotten it for her once they got back to town because he noticed that she was playing with her bandages. It was a green and fashionable, matching nicely with her hat. It hid her wound well and she really appreciated Touya's kind gesture.

Feeling odd about calling her new Pokemon by her specie's name, Belle renamed her Munna to be Helen after finding out her gender. Helen seemed to like her new name. Belle almost bought a Twisted Spoon for her back at the accessory shop but realized the poor thing could not hold the spoon in her pudgy appendages. Helen did not seem upset at all and crooned its acceptance.

Helen turned out to be a very quiet Pokemon. She liked to bob around those she was comfortable with, namely Belle, but made few noises and usually got her point across through her actions. Belle did not mind though and enjoyed the little darling's company.

When Touko had remembered that the quartet was supposed to meet with her mother, Belle was really glad for Touya's gift. Olivia Clearwater brought news about Belle's father being very unhappy with his daughter's disappearance. If he had found out what had happened to her…Belle shook the frightening thoughts out of her head. It was not a deep, life threatening cut, so she was hoping it would heal soon.

Raising his arm, Cheren inspected the device the twins' mother had given to the four of them. The group decided to stay overnight at Striaton, seeing as Mrs. Clearwater had not arrived until much later in the day. However, they all agreed that the item, a Cross transceiver, was worth the wait. The Xtransceiver, put simply, was a combination of a watch, phone, and computer. It showed the time, allowed the wearer to make phone and video calls, and had several useful applications, such as a calculator and timer. Cheren's father had developed them for the sole purpose of the teenagers' journey. Cheren noted the time to still be early morning and was glad it was so. He had estimated the trip between Striaton and Nacrene to be at least a week long.

The first day of the journey went without incident and the group had found a nice area to camp for the night. Belle had a surprising amount of money from the Gym Battle left over and had in fact gotten more appetizing food (instant cooked meals, but still better than the meager crackers they had the nights before) and some kitchen ware to boil water in. The teens went to sleep and woke up without a repeat of the embarrassing situation Cheren and Touko had put themselves in a few days ago.

It was on the fourth day that Cheren caught the Purrloin. At midday, the traveling Trainers were greeted with the sight of a small farming town. Relieved to see something other than trees and grass, the four friends wandered into the town, hoping to find some lunch.

The town had very few buildings, probably no more than twenty of them. None of them appeared to be a restaurant, much to the disappointment of Touko, who was more looking forward to eating something other than instant noodles. The four found themselves in front of what appeared to be a small school.

"Perhaps we can ask someone inside if they know where we can get some food around here," Belle piped up, already heading towards it. Her friends followed behind as she knocked tentatively on the door.

A young woman with kind green eyes opened the door, offering her greetings. "Why hello there! Are you travelers? I don't believe I've seen any of you from around here."

Cheren replied, "Yes ma'am. We were wondering if you might know of a place that we can get some food? We would most appreciate it."

The woman shook her head, her short brown hair swishing as she did. "I'm sorry, but this town only depends on subsistence farming. We grow all the food we eat ourselves, neither buying nor selling any crops. Even this school gets its food from the farm tended by the daycare next door. However…" She opened the door wide, a smile on her lips. "You kids are more than welcome to join us. We often get travelers coming by, so we always have a little extra food around. Please, do come in! My name is Maria, it's a pleasure to meet you all!" She stepped out of the way to let the teens in.

The four teens hesitated. "Oh we really don't want to be a bother! We have to pay you for that then!" Belle babbled, biting her lips.

The woman shook her head again, grinning. "No need! We accept stories of your travels as payments. The kids absolutely adore stories from peoples' travels. It's one of their favorite things."

The four teenagers thought back to their travels. There was N…Sir Wotterlot shooting Belle and Touya into the water….the encounter with that brat Joey…and the incident at the Dreamyard…

All of them visibly cringed. Surely they could find one good story out of it all!

* * *

The teens were ushered into the cozy little schoolhouse. It appeared to be for young children only, as every child there looked no more than 4 or 5 years old. Upon seeing the older kids, the five young children rejoiced in their arrival, immediately swarming towards their visitors.

"More travelers! Mark is happy!" a little boy exclaimed, who appeared to be referring to himself in third person.

"Yay, shtory time!" gushed one little girl with a lisp.

"Hey, you guys want to see my Patrat?" another boy exclaimed eagerly.

"Travis, you're _always_ asking if people wanna see your Patrat," a girl retorted.

"Dat's cuz my Patrat is awesome!" Travis responded.

The last child, a quiet boy, merely nodded.

Maria laughed, "Come now children, let's not all confuse our guests! They're resting from their travels!" She turned to the teens, "We were actually just getting ready for lunch. Why not share some stories while we eat?"

"Alright! I'm up for it!" Touko yelled enthusiastically, "I want to tell a story first!"

Cheren sighed. Belle giggled quietly, albeit a bit nervously. Touya just stood there, his face not betraying any emotion, as usual.

When everyone received a plate of food and a small cup of milk, Touko eagerly began to chirp away about the triple Gym Battle, somehow recalling each detail with amazing clarity. At one point, the young children had completely abandoned their lunch, enthralled by Touko's story. Even her friends were a bit surprised at her story telling skills. They had expected her to say something brash or inappropriate, but she appeared to have her words clean and straight.

When she ended her story, she swigged down the rest of her milk, watching the children for their reactions. Almost all at once, they exploded in excited comments, completely impressed by her story of the battle. Of course, she had exaggerated some parts a bit, but it thrilled the children nonetheless.

"Wow, dat shounded way cool! I wish I coulda sheen dat!" the girl with the lisp sighed.

"Your Pokemons sound so much cooler than the ones Mark and his friends see around here!" Mark added.

"Dat's not true! Oz is pretty cool!" the other girl responded.

"No way Mary! My Patrat is the best of the best!" Travis beamed.

"Travis, your Patrat is _not_ cooler than Oz!" Mary quipped.

Watching a pouting Travis, Belle asked one of the other children, "Who's Oz?"

The girl named Mary piped, "He's this huuugggeee Blitzle that lives near here! He's _this_ big!" At "this", the little girl opened her arms wide, trying to emphasize just how big Oz was. However, it did not prove very effective, as she was so tiny.

"Mary, he is way bigger than that! You're too small!" Travis yelled.

"I'm not small! He's just too big for me!"

Touya's ears perked at the mention of a Blitzle. Touko noticed that he seemed to be listening more closely. Deciding to satiate her brother's curiosity, she asked, "Does Oz come here often?"

It was the quiet boy who answered this time. "Oh…uh…yeah….he comes here every day." He spoke so quietly that Mary and Travis's bickering nearly drowned out his voice.

Belle leaned in closer, smiling, "I couldn't hear what you were saying. What's your name? And can you say that again?"

The boy jumped before stuttering, "L…Liam. And…and Oz comes every day."

"Well Liam, do you like Oz?" The little boy simply responded with a nod of his head.

"We all love Oz! He'sh da coolest!" The girl with a lisp chirped.

"Mark agrees with Jen! Mark and his friends all love Oz! When Oz visits later, you can meet him!" Mark added.

Cheren coughed, "We would have loved to, but we need to get going as soon as possible. We don't want to stay and bother you all too long."

The kids whined in protest, trying to convince him otherwise. Touko tugged on Cheren's ear, dragging his head close to her face. Fighting off a blush, Cheren tried to focus on what she was whispering to him. He glanced at Touya, who seemed to be lost in thought. Furrowing his eyebrows, Cheren sighed, "Fine…I suppose being a little later won't do much harm."

The kids cheered and Maria, who had simply been watching up until now, smiled, "Now children, finish your food so we can get back to our lessons. Oz will come later, so we can busy ourselves with fun learning until then!"

Obediently, the children did as they were told before bouncing back over to the learning area. The four teens followed them, watching from behind.

However, in the middle of doing sums on the whiteboard, the lights in the schoolhouse suddenly went out. Although the bright sunshine still came in through the windows, the sudden change shocked the kids, causing Liam to start crying. While Belle comforted the little boy, Maria got up to check the circuit breakers outside. However, when she opened the door, she was met with two people standing outside. An argument started between Maria and the new arrivals.

Suddenly, she slammed the door closed and started to run back over to the kids. Not a moment later, a loud blast rocked the school and the door splintered in the center, allowing whoever was outside to kick through the weakened wood. The door snapped into pieces, allowing the intruders to enter the school. The five children huddled around their teacher, who glared defiantly at the two arrivals.

Touko felt a snarl rising up her throat as Cheren scowled in annoyance. Belle curled her lips into an angry pout as she subtly retreated behind her friends, absentmindedly touching her neck wound. Even Touya was irritated, but the teens all had good reason for their cold reactions.

"Arceus, the hell are you jerks doing here?" Touko growled, not watching her language. She saw no need to in the presence of the two Team Plasma grunts in front of her, who were none other than Seth and Sandra. They had looks of bewilderment on their faces. However, their expressions turned into dark smiles as they realized who were standing in front of them.

"Hello children. We believe you have something that belongs to us," Sandra purred, a wicked Cheshire grin spreading across her face.

* * *

N sat in his lavish bedchamber, staring absentmindedly at his ceiling. Memories of his encounter with the girl named Touko at Accumula Town swam in his mind.

_What in the world did the little Oshawott's words mean? _That was definitely the strangest, and most preposterous thing N had ever heard in his life. The words of the little Pokemon was in such sharp contrast with the words of every other Pokemon he had met up until this point. N allowed his eyes to close and he placed his arms over them, allowing his mind to drift.

For as long as N could remember, he was raised alongside Pokemon. His closest and only friends were Pokemon and they kept him company while his father was away. He listened to their tragic and horrifying stories of abandonment, abuse, and scorn by humans. His friends had been left to starve and die, and as N got older, he began to understand just how sad Pokemon really were in the hands of humans.

All the wounds…scars…tears...N's blank face contorted into a mask of pain for mere seconds before it relaxed once again. He sat up from his bed, his stalwart decision made. If he intended to accomplish anything, he certainly would not get anything done lying around in his bed.

He swept up gracefully from his bed, removing his robe and tossing it on top of his blankets. He paused to grab a book from his bedside table before leaving his room. He descended the stairs quickly, giving off an air of urgency. He exited the castle, entering the dark underground tunnel the entrance was situated in. An elaborate elevator took him back up to the surface, leaving his palace back under his feet. He emerged from the cave, where the elevator was hidden from prying eyes.

As if summoned by his presence alone, an Archeops appeared from between a grove of trees, squawking as it flew over to N. Although it appeared to be very well groomed, broken feathers were scattered across its body, and gruesome scars covered much of its belly.

N was careful not to touch the scars, knowing how sensitive they were to the abused creature. As one of the last remaining Archeops in this modern world, the Pokemon had been hunted fervently by selfish humans who sought own it. The scars were proof of its escapes and tell the tales of its tribulations.

The man offered his friend a soft pat before whispering kind words into its ear. The huge Pokemon bent down, allowing N to easily straddle its back. With another squawk, it flew off, taking N to the destination he desired.

* * *

Seth and Sandra could not believe their luck. After their last skirmish at the Dreamyard, the two of them had fled, fearing Ghetsis's wrath. When their intimidating leader did not follow them out, or contact them, it dawned on them that they might have been deceived. After Sandra screeched herself hoarse, the two set out, desiring bloody murder the next time they saw the teenagers.

So when they saw the four teenagers, it was as if their silent prayers had been answered, if one could consider their violent desires as prayers. They stepped confidently into the dark room, with a Pokemon flanking behind them. Even though the grunts were both rather tall, the four-legged creature stood up to their shoulders. Black lightning stripes patterned his pelt and the Pokemon gave off an unusual electrical field.

"Oz!" Mary cried out, managing to catch a glimpse of the giant Blitzle from behind her teacher's protective arms. The other children started to squirm around, trying to see their Pokemon friend.

"Wow, they weren't kidding when they said that that thing was huge," Cheren mumbled. It was clear that this Pokemon was much larger than the average run-of-the-mill Blitzle.

Peeking out from behind Touya, Belle frowned, "That Blitzle…it looks so hurt, doesn't it?"

Her words proved true upon closer inspection of the Pokemon. Electrical sparks emitted from his tense body every few seconds and his face was twitching uneasily. The clacking of its hooves sounded heavy and harsh, as if it was ready to charge forward. The children suddenly rang up in protests.

"Oz! Don't be sad Oz!" Mary yelled.

"Hey, you made him shad, didn't you?" Jen accused.

"Big meanies! My Patrat is going to beat you up!" Travis threatened.

Sandra wrinkled her nose in disgust. She had quite a list of things that she hated, and children were well near the top. Her fingers itched for her gun -which she remembered to bring with her this time- but she thought better of it. Instead, she gestured to the bristling Pokemon behind her, who stepped forward menacingly. With a loud whiney, he shot out a series of lightning bolts, striking at random. The children screamed and Liam started crying again.

Standing their ground, the four friends took out their Poke balls, dodging the attacks as they saw fit. One bolt landed dangerously close to Cheren, who had leapt out of the way in the nick of time.

"That's a Shockwave. It's supposed to have deadly accuracy, but something seems to be bothering the Blitzle," Cheren warned.

Despite the attack, Touya was staring at the Pokemon in silent awe, mouth slightly agape. With a sigh, Touko nudged her twin, "Oy, snap out of it! You can ogle that thing later. Let's get these guys outta here first, 'kay?" She enlarged her Poke ball, summoning Sir Wotterlot.

Foolish move.

The Blitzle's eyes seemed to burn with red anger and he released another Shockwave. In the horrifying seconds that ensued, Touko could only watch as one of the wayward bolts struck her Pokemon. The little Oshawott squealed in pain before dropping forward, unmoving.

Cursing, Cheren ran through the list of his Pokemon and tossed out his Snivy. At least it would resist electrical type moves. His Purrloin would be an ideal choice as well, but he decided now was not the time to test the waters with his new Pokemon. He saw Touko kneel down to Sir Wotterlot from his peripheral vision, and was about to send Eliza to attack when Seth spoke up.

"We don't really feel like fighting. If you hand over your Pokemon and the Musharna, we won't attack anymore. Honestly, you're just making this too hard on yourselves. You're only prolonging your Pokemons' suffering," he said dryly.

Cheren responded to his words by telling his Snivy to attack. Little damage was inflicted on the Blitzle and the attack only seemed to make the Pokemon more incensed with the Trainers. By now, Belle had released Porky as well, keeping her Munna safe. After seeing Sir Wotterlot fall, Touya was not willing to risk using Zula. His sister had already returned her Oshawott, biting her lips. Calling on Musharna would have been foolish at best, considering that the two criminals were after the Drowsing Pokemon. He could only watch his comrades battle while trying to deter his attention from the incredible Blitzle in front of him.

The scene was chaotic. Oz constantly shot off its Shockwave, although fatigue appeared to be seeping through his system. Eliza and Porky countered with their own attacks, which did not seem to prove very effective against the raging Blitzle. Seth and Sandra did nothing to provoke or calm the Blitzle, allowing his attacks to slowly destroy the school.

The occupants of the room realized, too late, that the attacks had weakened the support beams of the ceiling. Cheren tackled Touko out of the way just as a chunk of the ceiling fell down, crashing into the spot the girl had been standing in moments before. However, her head remained unprotected; it cracked against the ground as she fell and Touko's vision wavered. Cheren inwardly cursed himself for not protecting her head and use his body to cover hers as the ceiling continued to cave in.

Touya was still mildly distracted by the Blitzle and moved to safety by Belle's lead. The two covered their heads and necks and waited for the ceiling to stabilize. Maria protected her charges as best as she could. An uncomfortable feeling wafted in the atmosphere as the roof continued to cave in. Finally, the noise and falling particles stopped and everyone tried to catch their breath.

Touko's head throbbed painfully and she felt her mind falling from the brink of consciousness. She struggled to stay awake, forcing her eyes to open. She saw Cheren over her, but his demeanor alerted her that something was not right. He seemed to be shaking, a frustrated and pained expression on his face.

"I…I can't move," he gasped. As if his muscles suddenly snapped, he fell to the side, unmoving, but fully conscious. Alarmed, Touko shot up to see if her friend was alright, only to have the brunt of her concussion hit her, sending her falling back to the ground. Her mind swirled in a dark pool of water. She felt nauseous all over, feeling her muscles locking up slightly as well.

"T-Touko!" Cheren cried, trying to push himself back up in vain.

Touya and Belle found themselves in similar situations, unable to move, discovering that their muscles and nerves were not working. Maria suddenly collapsed, much to the shock of her students, who all started to exclaim her name in worry.

Sandra laughed, finding the scene extremely satisfying. "We have gotta get ourselves an electric type. Thunderwave is such a useful move." She sauntered over to Cheren, who was glaring at her with as much venom as he could muster in his state. He uttered a sharp growl in his throat as Sandra reached down to unclip his three Poke balls. Poor Touko did not realize that Sandra also took her Poke ball. Sandra inspected the Poke balls before chucking one of them back at Cheren's head.

"I have no need for another Purrloin. You can keep that one." She returned Eliza into her Poke ball with a smirk.

"I thought you were liberating all Pokemon?" Cheren hissed.

Scoffing, Sandra said, "There's more than enough Purrloins out there already. Why should I care?"

Seth took his time searching Belle and Touya, swiping their Poke balls as well. He did not mind manhandling her, much to Touya and Cheren's disgust. Unable to find Belle's Poke balls on her person, Seth grunted, looking at Touya's two Poke balls instead.

A sly grin spread across his features and he held up two Poke balls. "Found the damn Musharna. The boy had it. Can't find the girl's Poke balls though…what do we do about the Tepig?"

Sandra flashed him a triumphant smile, "Just leave it, we have what we wanted." She turned to address the paralyzed victims. "See how easy that was? We'll head out on our way now. Ta-ta!" She sneered, walking towards the door, where a tired Blitzle began retreating out the doors. Seth followed, whistling some off-tune melody, mockingly closing the half destroyed door on his way out.

* * *

It took the teenagers about half an hour to finally break out of their paralysis. Maria also recovered, bringing relief into the hearts of the crying children. She immediately phoned the Striaton Police Department, alerting them about what had happened.

Touko had slipped out of consciousness during that time, leaving a very guilty and enraged Cheren next to her. Touya was kneeling at her side, checking his sister for injuries. Although he saw none, seeing his sister unconscious did not settle well in his stomach.

Belle returned her Tepig to safety and rubbed the areas that Seth had touched her with discomfort. That was the second time she encountered the horrid man, and neither experience was a pleasant one. While he did not exactly violate her, his touch was not a kind one.

Cheren had been playing with his Purrloin's Poke ball, the one sole Pokemon that was spared. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he stood up, adjusting his glasses. "Belle, you still have your Pokemon right? We're going after those creeps and getting our Pokemon back. Touya, stay here with Touko."

Cheren felt a twinge of guilt in his heart again. He would make it up to Touko by getting her Pokemon back. She and the children seemed unaffected by the Thunderwave, no doubt because they had a human shield over them. So if she had not hit her head, she could have resisted Sandra, even if it would not have done her much good.

With a steely gaze, Belle stood up, nodding firmly. Touya's eyes flickered between his friends before he nodded his head in the affirmative. He watched Belle and Cheren quickly exit through the decimated door before casting his eyes back down on his sister.

Chewing his lip slightly, he picked up her head and removed her cap before placing it back down gently onto the ground. He stood up and turned to Maria. "Take care of my sister, please."

* * *

Cheren and Belle ran down the dirt path, keeping a sharp eye on the hoof marks engraved into the ground. It was a stroke of luck for the teens that the criminals had not bothered to erase their trail. Better yet, from the pattern of the tracks, they were not moving very fast.

The path led them to the entrance of a dark cave. The air inside the cave was dank and humid, though not unpleasant. The two friends stepped in cautiously, their ears perking to the sound of water bubbling nearby. Then, the sound of yelling came.

"Fucking Blitzle isn't listening to us anymore. I knew wild Pokemon were a pain in the ass." Sandra's irritated voice echoed.

"Ain't my fault. What do we do with the thing?" retorted Seth.

"We'll just have to persuade him to listen to us." The edge in Sandra's voice told the two Trainers that she had nothing diplomatic in mind.

Remaining as quiet as they could, Belle and Cheren dashed towards the sound of the voices, ducking behind a large boulder as they listened. Suddenly, a whinny of pained rage echoed through the chamber and Belle let out a small gasp. Seeing that she was about to run around the boulder, Cheren shot out an arm to restrain her, emphasizing their need to stay hidden by gesturing with a blunt shushing motion.

"We need to come up with a plan before we go charging in like that," Cheren whispered, fingering his Poke ball again. Belle nodded, beginning the search for her own Poke balls. She withdrew all three of them, clutching them tightly in her hands, knowing she might need them at a moment's notice.

The noises startled the cave Pokemon in the area. The two teens caught sight of many cave-dwellers running away from the source of the sound. They tried to remain inconspicuous so that they were not noticed by the Pokemon.

A sudden force hit the boulder they were hiding behind, sending chunks of rock flying everywhere. Belle screamed, covering her head. Cheren let out his own surprised yelp, realizing the mistake that they had made. He risked a glance around the boulder. Relief washed over him when he saw that Sandra and Seth were too preoccupied with trying to control the enraged Blitzle. However, dangerous bolts of electricity were shooting all over the cave, illuminating the damp walls with blinding light. Cheren took this chance to get closer to the struggling criminals, gesturing at Belle to come out of hiding as well.

"Wow, you guys can't possibly be Team Plasma members. Pokemon just _hate_ you two." Cheren smirked, his comment grabbing their attention.

Sandra snarled, turning around, leaving Seth with the crazed Blitzle. Only now did he notice that they were both armed with knives and that bloody slash wounds covered Oz's body. Cheren heard Belle gasp again, followed by the sound of a Poke ball snapping open. Lia appeared in a shower of light, barking sharply.

"Hey! Leave Oz alone!" Belle snapped, trembling. Somehow, Cheren sensed that her trembling was not only caused by anger. Without hesitation, he threw out his own Poke ball, watching his new Purrloin materialize in front of him. Mewing, it yawned, as if the chaotic scene did not shock or interest it in any way.

Oz started retreating while Seth suddenly hissed something at him. Although fatigue weighed down on the Blitzle's movements, for reasons neither of the teens could understand, Oz suddenly stopped retreating and surged forward again, a new, desperate spark in his eye. Cheren felt his heart go out to the abused creature, suddenly having second thoughts about fighting the Blitzle.

Belle mirrored his thoughts, her anger dissipating. She took a step forward, "Oz! Come on Oz, you don't have to fight! Just let us battle them! We can free you!"

She held out her arms welcomingly and saw hesitation in Oz's eyes for a moment. He lifted his hoof up to take a timid step towards Belle, but a gunshot rang through the cavern, shocking him. Suddenly, all he could see was red, and shot a Shockwave directly at Belle. The deadly attack did not hit her, however, as another figure had tackled her to the ground.

Moaning from the mild scrapes she received from her fall, Belle tried to get back up, feeling a heavy weight on top of her. She also felt a soft hand cupping the back of her head, preventing it from hitting the rocky surface of the cave walls. The baseball cap atop her savior's head sent butterflies through her stomach, and she blurted out the first thing on her mind. "T…Touya! Wh…what are you doing here?"

Touya helped her to stand up. "Are you alright?" There was concern in his eyes.

Belle smiled and quickly chirped, "I'm fine! Thank you!"

Nodding, he turned to Cheren, "I protected her head."

Red-faced, Cheren scowled, "Bastard. Now's hardly the time for that!"

Touya had already turned his attention to the Blitzle. His dark chocolate gaze pierced through the Blitzle's confused eyes.

Oz faltered for a moment, shocked by the intensity of Touya's glare. Some form of understanding seemed to flash through Oz's mind, although the expression in Touya's eyes was something the Blitzle had never seen. It was one of fury, but…respectful fury? It was as if Touya projected all of his anger, disappointment, pity, and sense of respect into his glare, forcing Oz to wallow in the sheer impact of it. The silent command was given and Oz's body crackled in electricity again.

However, no pernicious Shockwaves shot out from him. Instead, a static field flared out behind him, blanketing Seth and Sandra. The two grunts suddenly collapsed, trembling.

"B…bastard! H…How dare that thing…" Sandra's hissing cut off, as she found it increasingly difficult to speak.

Shocked, Cheren gaped at the fallen criminals. Oz had turned on his oppressors, stunning them with his own Thunderwave. After gathering his bearings, he approached Sandra, who was spitting insults at him in her broken voice. He bent down and took back his Poke balls back, retrieving the stolen capsules from Seth as well.

Standing up, he smirked. "Damn. Déjà vu, am I right?" Behind him, he heard a loud thud and turned around to see Oz crumpled on the cave floor.

Touya was already at the Pokemon's side, pulling out a Potion. A motley of expressions was present on his face. Rage. Disgust. Sorrow. Incredulity. Care. His face became calmer as the Blitzle's condition seemed to improve with each emptied bottle of medicine.

The Blitzle turned its head and gazed at the male twin with tired eyes. Belle squatted down next to Touya, murmuring, "So what now? We can't just leave him here in this dark cave." She stroked a soothing hand across Oz's pelt, tingled by the static the Blitzle gave off.

"Maybe…I can take him with me," Touya said simply.

Oz jerked his head up, his gaze widening. He had been free and wild for so long and he certainly did not want to give up his liberty like this. After the horrid abuse he had just faced, the last thing he wanted to do was to go with another human.

But the Blitzle did not resist. The protests in his mind faded along with the pain from his wounds with each passing second. Without rhyme or reason, Oz placed his head back down on the ground and closed his eyes, giving a short whinny of approval.

That was all the answer Touya was looking for. As he enlarged a Poke ball to capture Oz with, however, the exodus of Pokemon from earlier returned back to the cave, startling the trainers. A swarm of Pokemon surged around the teens. In his surprise, Touya dropped the Poke ball in his hand and it opened in a flash of light, sucking something into it.

It shook three times before clicking and showering stars, much to the teens shock.

"What in the world did you catch, Touya?" Cheren asked just as an onslaught of Swoobats arrived, interrupting him.

"Let's get out of here!" Belle cried, jumping to her feet as a Swoobat nipped at her hat. She and Cheren returned their Pokemon quickly to the safety of their Poke balls.

Touya withdrew another empty Poke ball and tapped it against Oz's head. The Blitzle disappeared into the Poke ball with a flurry of light, locking after only the first shake.

"W-Wait, don't leave us here!" Seth cried as the teens bolted for the entrance.

When Touya turned around, they expected the teen to actually be naïve enough to save them. However, they received one the chilliest glares they had ever experienced when they locked eyes with the male twin and both grunts fell silent. To their shock, they realized that only Ghetsis's own penetrating gaze rivaled it. Without another word, Touya turned around and swept out of the cave.

The late afternoon sun greeted the teens' exit and they all took in deep breaths of fresh air. Off in the distance, police sirens could be heard and the cars soon arrived. An officer ran towards the teens, immediately firing questions at them. Upon hearing Cheren's calm explanation, a group of policemen swept into the cave. The teens watched with immense satisfaction as the policemen roughly dragged Seth and Sandra out of the cave in handcuffs minutes later.

The teens fell silent, listening only to the bustle of activity around them. At this point, Belle remembered the other Poke ball that Touya had.

"What's in the other ball?" she questioned.

Blinking, Touya retrieved the mysterious Pokemon and released it. An indigo Rock-type Pokemon emerged, hopping up and down in place. It had no face, only a hole in the center of its roughly spherical body. It swayed back and forth on its two little feet, waving the piece of red rock atop its head. It did not seem scared of Touya at all and started to run circles around the teen endlessly.

Cheren stared at the eccentric Pokemon, chortling. "Looks like you caught yourself quite the Roggenrola there, Touya."

The twin merely shrugged, bending down to his accidental catch. The Roggenrola stop its dashes, hopping up and down again. Touya tried to pick it up, but the little creature leapt to the side before resuming its hops. He tried yet again but the same thing happened. Quite the Roggenrola indeed.

"You should name it," Belle giggled, kneeling down next to him. "It looks kinda like a Riley to me!"

"Riley?" Cheren questioned.

"Yeah! I dunno, he just does! What's its gender anyways?"

"Well…" Cheren scrutinized the Roggenrola before frowning. "Um, actually, I can't tell. Rock Pokemon don't seem to have the usual indicators."

"Indicators?" Belle cocked her head to the side.

Touya held up the Roggenrola's Poke ball and returned it. "It's better that you don't know," he told the blonde. "I guess I can name him Riley. Gender-neutral name anyways."

When he placed the Poke ball into his bag, his hand brushed against the one containing Oz. Carefully, he took out the Blitzle's Poke ball. Touya stared at his other new capture, feeling a strange happiness swell in his chest. It was a happiness so suffocating that he could not help but pull his mouth into an electrifying smile. He had not been so happy since the day his father took him to a Zebstrika Race.

His father…

And with the memory of his father, the happiness in his chest was snuffed out and his grin fizzled out, allowing the indifferent expression he always wore to spread back across his face.

* * *

**A/N: Ugh. Again, I feel like I'm losing my touch. **

**Review please! Tell me if I'm losing my touch. Again, I feel bad for the long wait. Updates will come soon now!**

**~Alexie**


	11. Ch 10: Mistakes

**A/N: Hey guys! See, I told you updates would be faster now.**

**I wanted to get this done today since it's my 17****th**** birthday. Hurr, I'm so old now…**

**Oh dude, I'm 17 now! What the hell?**

**So this chapter is kinda like a…you know, those gifts people give to others on their birthday as a way to show people they appreciate them? Yeah. Those. XD **

**Anyways, enjoy this chapter! It's a bit longer this time.**

* * *

_Chapter 10: Mistakes_

* * *

_September 26, 2010_

The police car zoomed down the dirt road, carrying two new prisoners back to Striaton City. Sandra and Seth stayed silent, making no attempt to resist against the handcuffs that were bound around their wrists. Every so often, they gazed out of the tinted windows of the car, watching the blur of the passing countryside.

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt and the driver swore. "What the hell?" The policeman stuck his head out of the window to get a better look at the man that was blocking his path. The man in question had a black mask over his mouth and was dressed in a black, sleeveless full-bodysuit, tied off with a white sash at the waist, much like the garbs of a ninja. A black headband was visible underneath his shock of pure white hair. Green eyes peered out from the hair.

The policeman rolled his eyes, mumbling, "Kids and their crazy-ass fashion these days…" Raising his voice, he called out to the mysterious stranger, "Oi kid! You shouldn't stand in the middle of the road like that. Please step asi-"

He was suddenly cut off by a second stranger, nearly identical in appearance to the other. Having been knocked unconsciousness by the newcomer, the policeman slumped down into the seat of his car. The side door of the patrol car flung open, letting in the bright sunlight into the prisoner's hold. A third identical man stood outside, his blue eyes glaring frostily at the captured Team Plasma grunts.

"Sandra, Seth. Master Ghetsis is not pleased with your actions these past few days. You are bringing disgrace to Team Plasma," he reproved, his voice slightly muffled by his mask.

Sandra was already stepping out of the car, muttering, "Yeah yeah, whatever." She stared at the three men. "Thanks for the save. I wasn't actually expecting the Shadow Triad to save us after our slip up."

One of Triad quipped, "Don't expect it again. Now come, we are returning to Master Ghetsis. He would like to speak to you both." He turned the full intensity of his red eyes onto them.

Seth flinched. He knew that they were in for quite the punishment after the stunts they pulled. He glanced at Sandra, whose lips were curled in annoyance. "Well, at least remove these handcuffs before we go," she demanded.

The Triad ignored her, one of the men grabbing her arm and disappearing in an instant. Seth sighed. He was not looking forward to Ghetsis's tirade. He felt a tight grip on his arm and in an instant, the countryside blurred out of his view.

The remaining Triad member glanced around the area to search for spies before disappearing himself, leaving the unconscious policemen in his car at the side of the road.

* * *

"You guys are back!" Touko's enthusiastically cried out as her friends stepped back into the destroyed schoolhouse.

Cheren breathed a sigh of relief, seeing his friend awake and jubilant. His guilt would have started to seep away if not for the fact that he felt remnants of Touya's icy glare on his back.

Belle ran over to Touko, throwing her arms around her friend. "Oh thank goodness you're awake Touko!" she cried, "I was so worried! Oh!" She released Touko to dig through her purse, retrieving a single Pokeball and handing it to the surprised girl. "I got Sir Wotterlot back! The Team Plasma meanies stole him, but we chased them down and got our Pokemon back! They got _arrested_ Touko!" Belle whispered the word "arrested" as if it was some huge naughty secret.

With wide eyes, Touko babbled, "Wait what? What exactly happened while I was out?" She searched Cheren and Touya's eyes for an answer.

Cheren sighed, recounting the events of the past hours to Touko. The female twin listened intently, disappointed that she had missed out on so much action. She turned her attention to Touya, grinning, "A Roggenrola. And a Blitzle huh?"

The two twins shared a knowing glance and Touko could have sworn that she saw a genuine smile tweak at the corners of Touya's mouth. She was about to tease him more when Mary burst out, "Wait, you caught Oz?"

Sounds of shock and protest rang through the room and Maria tried to calm the children. Touya's eyebrows furrowed slightly and a flash of guilt flitted through his eyes. Knowing that Touya would not speak out in defense of himself, Cheren obliged for him.

"Now kids, I know you're upset, but Touya was doing that for the good of Oz. You see, Oz was terribly hurt by those meanies just now," he explained, sugar-coating his voice. "Touya saved him and Oz agreed to let Touya capture him. I'm sure Touya will take good care of your friend. We will visit you all a lot, ok?" he smiled at the children's sad faces.

Slowly, Mary responded, "I…I guess…if Oz is safe…" She trailed off, looking down at the ground.

Travis puffed out his chest, "We still have my Patrat! Someday, he will be as big as Oz is!"

"Big bwother Touya ish sho nice!" Jen chirped, with a nod of agreement Liam.

"Mark is glad Oz has someone nice taking care of him now!"

A look of authentic surprise lighted up Touya's face and he found himself unable to form coherent sentences. Touko giggled, "Don't mind him. He's saying thanks. Really."

* * *

The teens stayed the night at the daycare center next to the schoolhouse; Touko was still winded from her accident. She insisted that she was fine and did not need to seek medical treatment, and after compromising with her friends, she agreed to stop for the night instead of camping outdoors.

In the morning, the four friends reluctantly accepted the provisions offered to them by Maria.

"Wait! I have one last thing to give you guys!" Smiling, Maria led them into one of the inner rooms of the daycare center. The elderly couple that owned the center greeted the teens again. The room was spacious with only rows of shelves filled with colorful eggs inside cylindrical glass containers.

In awe, Belle asked, "Wow, what are these?"

"They're Pokemon eggs, sweetie." The elderly woman smiled, walking over to one of the eggs. "We breed and raise Pokemon here at the daycare center. But we can only handle so many eggs. We receive a lot from travelers and the like."

The old man went over to his wife. "We are hoping that you can each take an egg with you. I'm sure, as Trainers, that you will love and raise the Pokemon that hatch from these eggs."

The girls gasped. Cheren looked like he was ready to turn down the offer, but Belle and Touko squealed out simultaneously, "Really!?"

So that was how the teens continued onto Nacrene with four new Pokemon eggs. The daycare owners wanted the teens to be surprised by which Pokemon they got, so the teens picked solely on instinct. Touko chose an egg with a zig-zag gray-blue and white pattern with little splashes of red scattered. Belle's egg had an alternating light and dark green pattern. Cheren took longer than the girls and picked one very similar to Belle's, only the greens were more olive in tone. Touya actually spent the longest picking his egg and finally decided on one with jagged diagonal stripes of umber and blue.

Belle had volunteered to hold the egg of whichever person was carrying the tent. She proved to be surprisingly more stable on her feet when she had the eggs in hand. Her caring nature shined through by the way she mothered the eggs.

"Belle, I think you'd make a really good Pokemon breeder!" Touko chirped while she was carrying the tent. She had given her egg to her friend to hold and noted how gentle she was with it.

The blonde beamed, pondering the comment. "Really? A breeder?" Actually, to her, the prospect was not a bad one.

Along the way to Nacrene, Cheren caught yet another Pokemon, a small, gray, bird-like Flying-type known as a Pidove, much to Touko's jealousy. The little bird had been singing happily in a tree above the teen's camp when they stopped for lunch and Cheren did not waste the opportunity. He came up with names for his Purrloin and Pidove after much nagging from Touko. Purrloin turned out to be female as well and he chose the name Marie. Pidove was male and after deliberating many names, he decided on Henry.

* * *

_September 30, 2010_

After four more days, they arrived at the old city, exhausted but relieved. The teens found that they were able to travel for longer periods of time now as compared to a week ago, but we were quite glad to have reached a town. The entrance of the city was in a district of run-down warehouses and Cheren could have sworn that he smelled something strange wafting from one of the buildings. This only made him quicken his pace, much to Touko's dissatisfaction, as she was carrying their tent.

Nacrene was much more old-fashioned than Striaton or Accumula, as almost every building was made out of dark wood and bricks. In fact, some of the buildings appeared to be reused warehouses. Many unusual statues littered the streets, which tourists took photos of. It seemed like every other building was an art gallery of some kind. Every few blocks, the teens saw street musicians performing all different genres of music. As one song faded out, another would replace it as they walked. Cheren readjusted his glasses. Nacrene's famed nickname, "The City of Art," was no misnomer: the city simply exuded an artistic aura.

Since the Pokemon Center's static design was so different from the other buildings, the four teens had no problem locating it. Touko practically dropped the tent as soon as she stepped into the door, groaning in relief. Belle gently placed down the eggs and took off her heavy backpack, which she had filled with all of her cooking tools. Cheren made his first priority to get a hotel room for the night. Touya offered to bring everyone's Poke balls and eggs to the nurse. Although his poker face was calm as ever, it was clear he was anxious to have Oz checked. The old woman at the daycare could do little to help Oz, so Touya wanted to seek more professional care.

As the boys walked off, Touko plopped down onto one of the waiting chairs at the Center. Belle sat down next to her, stretching her aching back. "Man, traveling is a lot of work!" Touko groaned, slumping down into her seat.

"Oh, it is, but I find it so exciting! So freeing!" Belle grinned, bouncing in her seat. She had never been so independent in her life. Although they had met some unsavory characters, there were also many affable and wonderful people along the way as well. Belle was thoroughly enjoying herself right now.

"Freeing? What's freeing about carrying _that_?" Touko kicked the tent at her foot, "That thing is fricking heavy!"

"Well, sorry it's heavy, but you'll have it carry it to our room now." Cheren's amused voice floated above her. He had his free hands inside of his pockets and his smirk only grew larger as he walked back over to Touko.

Rolling her eyes, the girl picked up the tent, only to shove it at his face. "No, you're going to help us carry some of this stuff." Without another word, she picked up her share of luggage before heading towards the elevator. Cheren chuckled to himself, helping Belle lift the remainder of the bags.

With their Pokemon all healed, the eggs under the protective care of Nurse Kaitlyn, and their belongings stashed safely back in their hotel room, the four friends headed back out into the quaint city.

"So what now?" Touko asked, playing with her Oshawott's Poke ball in her hands. "Are we gonna challenge the gym first, or what?"

"I'm up for it. I wanted to get it out of the way before anything else happens," Cheren agreed, starting off down the street.

"Cheren, don't jinx us!" Belle groaned, following behind him. "I really do _not_ want to run into any more jerks!"

"Yeah, way to go, Cheren," Touko smirked, pulling her brother along.

Sighing, Cheren remained silent, offering no retort to the two girls' whining. Instead, he focused his attention on the buildings, looking for any signs that indicated that one of them was a Gym. However, every one of the buildings looked practically identical, much to the frustration of the raven-haired teen. However, he passed a lavish white museum that spanned the entire area of a city block. Remembering stories about how Gyms are usually prominent places in each city, Cheren started to turn towards the museum.

"Holy Bouffalant, what _is_ this place?" Touko exclaimed, running forward. She was completely entranced by the magnificent structure, having never seen any building quite like it. Some of the lesser important artifact displays were in the massive courtyard and Touko found herself drawn towards the museum. Taking Belle's hand in hers, she proceeded to drag her friend to the museum. "Come on Belle, let's go take a look!"

In her excitement, she did not see where she was going and nearly collided into a passerby. She blurted, "Oh, I'm so sor-" The words died on her tongue as she stumbled back in shock at the man in front of her. Loose strange of the person's long green hair flew in the wind as he turned his head to look at Touko.

* * *

_September 26, 2010 - Four Days Ago_

Sandra and Seth returned to the confines of the Team Plasma castle to face Ghetsis. Now that they were actually back in the castle, the fear of the severity of their situation hit them and the two grunts were afraid for the first time in a long time.

The Shadow Triad led them through the munificent halls of the castle, escorting them curtly to Ghetsis's room. They gestured the two grunts into the dark room before disappearing in a flash. Sandra and Seth's eyes darted to the center of the room, where a dim spotlight illuminated a velvet chair that Ghetsis was currently occupying.

"You two have caused quite a commotion in the southeast," he stated, a light quality to his voice. "Tell me, did I not say to keep your missions discreet?"

The two bowed their heads apologetically, muttering, "We're sorry, Master Ghetsis. We have committed grave mistakes, please forgive us."

"The police were involved this time, were they not?" he asked, a dangerous tone creeping into his voice.

Silence.

"So tell me, what reason should I have to forgive you for nearly ruining m…our magnificent plans?"

The grunts continued to hold their silence, feeling cold sweat run down their neck. Their hearts skipped a beat when they heard a crack of a Poke ball opening. Suddenly, their bodies were lifted into the air and both Sandra and Seth yelled in shock. Ghetsis's Cofagrigus waved its ghostly hands about as it casted the Psychic that suspended the shocked grunts in the air. Ghetsis's face was contorted into a mask of disgust and anger as he shouted, "What reason should I have to keep such useless trash amongst my prestigious group? I most certainly expected much, _much _more out of you two, Sandra, Seth." The venom in his voice stabbed into the pair.

Now, Sandra and Seth knew they were not useless. They were, in fact, one of the several members of Team Plasma most trusted by Ghetsis and were far more efficient in their work then a majority of their comrades. Sandra's spite had gotten the best of her and she knew she had to rectify her actions before Seth, who willingly followed her plans, had to suffer for them too.

"Master Ghetsis, sir, I take full responsibility for the incidents." She gasped. "But we were stopped by a group of four teenagers who had the strangest chances of running into us while we were working. They proved to be most meddlesome," she desperately tried to explain.

Ghetsis was about to deal a painful blow to the defenseless grunts when something clicked in his brain. "Teenagers…you say?" He narrowed his eyes. "Did one of them have messy brown hair, that curls up and outwards in the most ridiculous fashion?"

Eyes widening, Sandra blurted, "Y…Yes Master! He had an Oshawott and wore a blue jacket and red cap. He's the one who caught Musharna as well! One of the other tee-"

"I don't give a fuck about the other brats, only him!" Ghetsis growled. He gestured to his Cofagrigus, which released its Psychic. Sandra and Seth landed painfully on the ground, but suddenly snapped their attention back on Ghetsis.

"I'm…going to give you two one last chance," the green-haired man glared, "Your king, Lord N, has gone to Nacrene to investigate an artifact at the museum. It may hold vital importance to our project. You are to go there and assist him in any way you can. You know what needs to be done if the artifact is in fact legitimate. Afterwards, you are to stay close with him on his travels. If you see that boy with the Oshawott again, bring him to me."

"Br…bring him?" Seth narrowed his eyes, "You mean…"

"I mean by _any_ means necessary, you dolt," Ghetsis snarled. "And while you're at it, I withdraw the orders to stay discreet. Stir up chaos if you please. Since you already made a name for yourselves, might as well keep everyone's attention directed at you. In fact, tell everyone you encounter-" He grinned. "-That you are not taking orders from me."

Sandra's lips pulled into a sneering smile as she understood Ghetsis's intentions. She suddenly bent down to one knee, in a knight's bow, with Seth quickly following in suit. "Thank you, Master Ghetsis, for giving us another chance. We will not fail you this time," Sandra promised suavely, excitement dancing in her heart. She will not let those teenagers win this time.

"See that you don't. Now leave."

* * *

N's eyes widened in response before softening into a calm gaze and he opened his mouth to speak.

However, Touko beat him to it.

"You! You're…you're that guy, the sadistic pervert, N!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him, glaring fiercely.

Alarmed by her sharp reaction, N held his hands up in defense, although showed no offense to her derogatory description. "And you're Touko, if I remember correctly. I'm starting to think that fate has made us meet up once again."

Cheren snorted at his words. _What a lousy pickup line,_ he thought. Little did Cheren know, that was not N's intention at all. Unfortunately, Touko had the same train thought as Cheren.

She made a face of disgust and crossed her arms tightly against her chest. "What do you want?" she demanded, twisting her mouth angrily.

"I believe I have just simply run into you again, be it fate or not," N replied coolly, slightly annoyed with the girl's bitter tone. Why was she so upset with him anyways?

"Fine, so you won't mind if I leave, right? See ya," she retorted, starting to stomp away from him. She still had not forgiven him for the battle back in Accumula and had not counted on meeting him again. She felt a soft hand grasp her arm and she whirled around in alarm, knowing that it was N who had grabbed her.

Before she could protest, he said, "I... want to see things no one can see. The truths of Pokémon inside Poké Balls. The ideals of how Trainers should be. And a future where Pokémon have become perfect... Do you feel the same?" He looked at her, his crystal-blue eyes intense.

Mouth ajar, Touko searched her mind for an answer to the question, having been caught off guard by what he had said. In fact, she could hardly comprehend what he was trying to ask. What did he mean by the "truths of Pokemon?" Slowly, she shook her head, suddenly captivated by the sparkling blue eyes that matched hers in vibrancy. The two stared into the depths of the other's eyes, trying to find answers to unspoken questions.

Finally, N released his grip and took a step back. "That's a shame. I actually expected you to agree." He fixed those dazzling blue eyes on Touko's own aquamarine ones, declaring, "My friends and I will show you what we mean. Then maybe, you will understand my desire."

Suddenly, a Pidove burst out from a nearby tree and landed promptly in front of N, ruffling its feathers.

Dumbfounded, Touko stared at the Pokemon before Cheren broke her out of stupor.

"Touko, he just challenged you to another battle." He hissed, thoroughly irritated. If not for the etiquettes of battling, he would have stepped in to stop N. Angrily, he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Touko's hand shot to her only Poke ball and she bit her lip. She only had one Pokemon…how many could N have?

Wordlessly, she released Sir Wotterlot, who did not seem too excited when he recognized N. _At least, _he thought, eyeing the Pidove, _it's not a Purrloin this time. _

"Alright, Sir Wotterlot! We're going to beat him today, right?" Touko cheered and her Oshawott snapped to attention, ready for battle.

The Pidove took off into the air, flying high above Sir Wotterlot. Close attacks did not seem like a viable option. "Start with Water Gun!"

Sir Wotterlot shot a powerful stream of water out of his mouth, aiming for the Pidove. The Flying-type dodged the Water Gun with fluidity and grace, its wings already glowing with a charged attack. Without N's command, it unleashed a Gust, creating slicing air currents. Sir Wotterlot stood his ground, taking the sharp attacks. However, it appeared to have little effect on the Oshawott, which pleased Touko.

"Hold fire Sir Wotterlot! Tail Whip!" Touko watched the Pidove's movements with keen eyes as her Oshawott tried to lower its opponent's defenses. The rhythmic beating of Pidove's wings wavered for a moment before they became steady once again.

N called, "Pidove, Quick Attack." He watched as the Pokemon suddenly dive-bombed towards the Oshawott at a furious speed.

An idea came to Touko's mind and she wasted no time in testing it out. "Sir Wotterlot, spin and use Water Gun again!"

The Oshawott threw her an exasperated glance, desiring to know where the girl got her crazy ideas from. How did she propose that he spin in the first place?

Nonetheless, he gave it a shot, tittering uncertainly on his feet as he unleashed another Water Gun, quickly picking up speed. His spin caused the water attack to spread out in a sharp circle, catching the surprised Pidove as it came within range. The attack proved too powerful and it downed the small flying-type in one hit. The Pidove fell down, unconscious, in the grass, soaked through with the Water Gun.

Sir Wotterlot stopped spinning as its Water Gun fizzled out, finding himself dizzy from his exploits. He heard his Trainer cheering and knew that whatever he did had worked. Another one of her crazy schemes had worked out. Secretly, the Oshawott loved it when they did.

N bent down to pick up the Pidove, inspecting the poor creature. A hurt expression flicked across his face before he stood back up, cradling the Pokemon in his arms. He looked up at Touko's triumphant smile, surprised at how much she had changed since the last battle.

_She completely enjoyed that. But...she does seem relieved that her Pokemon isn't hurt. _N shook his thoughts out of his head and waved his hand. Another Pokemon sauntered out from between the trees. It shouldered a wooden beam, flipping it up into the air once, seemingly to show off. The bright pink spots on its back contrasted heavily with the dull gray of its body.

N saw Touko's shoulders droop. Was she upset that she had another Pokemon to battle or was she upset that her Oshawott had to suffer longer? Sometimes, N questioned why he let his friends fight, but the voices he hears from them called for battle, so who was he to deny them?

Nodding, N stepped back as the new Pokemon took a menacing step towards Touko and her Oshawott, a sly grin on its face. Sir Wotterlot puffed out his chest, trying to look intimidating. However, the Oshawott faltered under the sharp Leer his opponent directed at him.

Touko pursed her lips, eyeing the wooden beam suspiciously. She did not want Sir Wotterlot getting too close to it, so she ordered, "Water Gun!"

Cheren frowned. Touko had very few options to work with, since the only viable attacks her _only _Pokemon knew were Water Gun and Tackle. He knew N was not an easy opponent to take down and it was her whimsical ideas that had won her the first round.

Obliging, Sir Wotterlot shot his attack at the new Pokemon as N called, "Timburr, Bide!"

Grunting, Timburr's body glowed red and it raised its beam of wood to block the Water Gun.

_I figured that beam would be used like that,_ Touko thought, her brain scrambling to figure out a way around Timburr's defenses. However, she also did not know what Bide was.

Uncertain, Touko directed, "Sir Wotterlot, get close and Tackle!"

"Wait no-" Cheren began to shout.

The Oshawott dashed forward, effectively evading the wooden beam and tackling the Timburr. It stumbled back, the red glow becoming brighter. A stone dropped in Touko's stomach and she shouted, "Sir Wotterlot, pull bac-"

N simply crossed his arms, letting the Timburr continue as it pleased.

The Timburr had raised its weapon and in one swift swing, it smashed the wooden beam into Sir Wotterlot. A sickening crack came from the moment of impact and Touko watched as her Oshawott sailed through the air, landing in a crumpled ball on the grass.

"Sir Wotterlot!" she cried out, making her way to her Oshawott. Belle let out a sharp gasp, taking a tentative step towards Touko and her Pokemon.

Touko kneeled down next to her Oshawott, her eyes scanning over her Pokemon, evaluating the damage. He had his scalchop in his hand, broken from the impact. Touko's eyes widened. He had absorbed most of the attack with his scalchop. "Sir Wott-?"

To everyone's surprise, Sir Wotterlot slowly started to get back up. Panting heavily, the Oshawott turned unfocused eyes onto his scalchop. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock at seeing his beloved shell shattered into pieces and all his fatigue drained from his body. He pivoted his body back to the smirking Timburr, an angry growl rising in the Oshawott's throat.

In a flash, a column of water shot up around Sir Wotterlot, surrounding him. Touko leapt back in surprise as the water column swirled around his form, hiding the Oshawott from view. Glows emitted from within the water as it spun faster and fanned out. Suddenly, the water dissipated, evaporating into evanescence.

In the Oshawott's place now stood another Pokemon. He still had an Oshawott's navy blue ears, tail, and flippers, but his entire body was a rich cyan blue, with a skirt-like cobalt blue adornment around his waist. On both thighs were brand new ivory scalchops, each bigger and more lustrous than before. A curious tuff of fur raised up behind his head. White V-shaped whiskers frisked the Pokemon's fierce face, and he gritted his sharp fangs at the Timburr.

A loud beeping emitted from Touko's bag and she fumbled numbly inside, retrieving her Pokedex. She opened it and was greeted with a flurry of information. "D…Dewott?" She stared dumbfounded at her Pokemon before a smile of realization washed over her features. "Dewott? Meaning you aren't an Oshawott anymore? _Oh my Arceus!_" She gasped, "Sir Wotterlot, you _evolved!_"

The shock in the air was nothing compared to a minute ago. A stunned silence fell over every individual present and even passersby were watching with bated breath. Touko's eyes flitted between her Pokedex and her Dewott, her mouth opening and closing like a Magikarp without water.

"He has new attacks…" she mumbled to herself, scanning the screen with her eyes. "I had no idea this device told you attacks-hey!" She suddenly shouted, noticing her Dewott grabbing the scalchops on his thighs. The shells flashed a bright blue light before two shining, lucid blades shot out of them. Sir Wotterlot turned around, focusing the intensity of his gaze on Touko, waiting for her command.

Trying to pull herself together, Touko closed her lips in a tight line before shouting, "You got it! Razor Shell!" She pointed her hand with flourish at the Timburr, a sudden wave of confidence lifting her up. Stunning blue eyes met each other and right there, the two trainers knew the battle was over.

N shouted, "Low Kick when he is close!"

Sir Wotterlot shot forward, gripping his blades expertly in his hands, aiming two slashes at the Timburr. One was intercepted by the wooden beam. The Timburr used the opportunity to aim a Low Kick at the Dewott's feet, but Sir Wotterlot used his tail to propel himself into the air. With a swift blow, his other scalchop came down across the Timburr's head, drawing blood from his slash.

The Timburr cried out, dropping his beam in favor of clutching his wound instead. It shot a dirty look at the Dewott, who calmly leapt back, his blades still protracted. With shaking hands, it grabbed the wooden weapon, savagely charging at the Dewott. Sir Wotterlot held his blades up, blocking the beam with his scalchops. With a mighty heave, he pushed the Timburr back, ears perking to another order from Touko. Before he had a chance to attack though, N called out, "Enough!"

Surprised, Touko looked up at N, who had already made his way over to the bleeding Timburr. He withdrew a Potion from his pocket, spraying its contents on the Timburr's head. With a handkerchief, he wiped off the blood from the Timburr's slowly calming face. Touko and her friends watched quietly as N tended to his Pokemon.

The green-haired Trainer pulled his Timburr into a hug, smiling, "Thank you. That's quite enough, my friend. Please, rest now."

Sir Wotterlot was waiting for Touko as she walked over to him, a bright smile on her face. Confusion flickered through her eyes as she looked between her Dewott and N. Turning her gaze back on her Pokemon, she squeaked, "I can't believe you evolved…and so soon. You're amazing, Sir Wotterlot."

The Dewott grinned, timdly giving the girl a hug. She was surprised but returned the hug nonetheless, laughing, "Thanks buddy…"

N was watching Touko, not quite comprehending the exchange between the Trainer and her Pokemon. His calculating mind was baffled for once. Slowly, he stood back up, the Timburr flanking at his heels. "I cannot see the future yet…the world…there is still so much I cannot understand." He paused when his eyes met Touko's again.

"Right now, my friends aren't strong enough to save all Pokémon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that will change the world. So, I need power... Power enough to make anyone agree with me." Now other onlookers were surprised by his words, but he kept his eyes trained on Touko.

His eyes flickered to the museum for a moment before he continued, "Now I know what power I need." He smiled ever so slightly, "The legendary Pokemon of the heroes of the Unova region. I want to meet them. I know they will see the world as I do! The true ideals that it should be run by! It's my turn to become that hero. And when that happens…" His eyes hardened, sending shivers down Touko's back. "Then maybe…we will understand each other…and even…"

He trailed off, slight hurt and confusion in his eyes. He suddenly turned around and started to leave. Caught off guard, Touko blurted out, "Wait N! Hey!"

But the Trainer kept walking away, the Timburr tottling at his feet.

* * *

Sandra and Seth had watched the battle from behind the trees, waiting for N to return. "Lord N…" Sandra greeted when he came back to the trees. "We most sincerely offer our condolences on your loss."

N held his hand up, "There is nothing to be upset about. She won fair and square, and I learned something. Just…not quite sure what." He gently bit his lip, falling into deep thought. Seth was about to make another remark when his Lord spoke up again.

"I have determined something to be of interest in the museum. I'd like to study it more carefully," he muttered, walking away. Confused, Sandra asked, "Lord N, what is this item?"

N turned back around, face hard. "A magnificent Dragon Pokemon."

* * *

After the battle, Touko spent about five minutes celebrating with Belle over her Pokemon's evolution. Cheren adjusted his glasses in irritation as he listened to their squealing. However, they stopped long enough to notice…

"Hey, where did Touya go?" Belle chirped, glancing around for her friend.

"While you two were _splitting my eardrums_, he went ahead into the museum without you," Cheren stated dryly.

"Waaaahh, some twin! Leaving me like that!" Touko whined, running towards the museum. Belle ran after her, nearly tripping over a crack in the ground. Cheren cringed and rolled his eyes before following the two girls.

Inside, Touya was gazing in slight awe at a gigantic skeleton of some Dragon-type Pokemon. The museum curator, amused by his expression, went over to speak with the boy.

"Magnificent specimen, isn't she?" he stated with a tone of respect. Touya turned his head to appraise the owner of the voice. A rather short and skinny bespectacled man stood beside him, dressed in a black suit. Signs of balding made the man appear to be old, although his face was rather young. "You know, you had the same exact expression as another young man that came earlier."

Touya nodded politely, "I've never seen a Pokemon so huge." He was not quite sure what to say to the man. He appeared to be very erudite, so he figured the man was going to tell him all about the skeleton either way.

And indeed he did. "Why, this is a Dragonite, my boy!" The man clapped his hand on Touya's shoulder, much to his discomfort. "They're quite rare in the Unova region. Actually, they're rare in just about anywhere in this world, although a large number of them are found in Kanto…"

Touya slowly tuned out the chattering man, glancing around discreetly at the other displays. His mind had begun to drift when he heard his name being called. He turned around to the sight of his sister barreling into him. He stumbled back, nearly bumping into the skeletal display.

"A…Ah! Miss, please do be careful in this museum!" the curator exclaimed, clutching his remaining hair.

Touko looked at the man before at her twin, who was wincing at her tight embrace. She glanced up, seeing the large Dragonite skeleton for the first time. "Holy mother of Bouffalant," came her awed response.

"Yes, young lady. You would do best to be careful in here, else you'll give my poor husband here a heart attack!" A strong, sassy voice called out.

The curator turned around, a sheepish smile spreading across his face. "Lenora…I didn't know you were in the museum today."

A tall, dark-skinned woman approached the three, her teal-blue afro-style hair bobbing slightly and red flats clacking on the ground as she strutted. A red and beige striped headband kept her voluminous hair in check. Her aura commended authority and attention, and her voice made it clear that no one could easily win an argument against her. She had an apron tied over her simple white dress-shirt and loose, teal pants.

"Well Hawes, no challengers came by today, so staying cooped up in that basement seemed so silly! Besides, Mama's gotta watch over her museum!" She leaned in to kiss the shorter man, sending a blush across his face.

The twins watched on uncomfortably before Touko realized something. "Hey, did you say challengers? Wait a minute." She pointed her finger at Lenora, surprised, "You're…?"

"Lenora, Gym leader of Nacrene City gym." Cheren explained and walked up, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Belle followed closely behind, crashing into him as her eyes caught onto the massive skeleton. She steadied herself on Cheren, letting out a string of apologies to the flustered boy.

After composing himself, Cheren cleared his throat. "I'm glad my intuition was correct. This is the Nacrene City Gym, or at least, the Gym is located here somewhere?"

"Sharp young man, I see," Lenora grinned, placing her hands on her hips. Her teal eyes sparkled as she said, "Does that mean I have a challenger today?"

Nodding, the raven-haired boy opened his mouth to voice his challenge, but a ringing gunshot cut him off. Screams erupted and panic spread across the room. However, at the entrance, a group of people had blocked the doorway. Every single one of them was dressed in pale-blue, medieval-style uniforms, with the Team Plasma insignia on their chests, and each one of them held a gun in their hand. One of them had a megaphone in her free hand, which she had no problem screaming into.

"Shut the hell up, idiots," she droned, clearly unaffected by the panic around her. "Get down on the ground and put your hands behind your head. We're only here to pick up something."

Almost everyone in the room got to their knees willingly, the exceptions being Lenora, Hawes, and the four friends.

"No way…" Touko gasped.

"That voice…" Cheren hissed.

The teens all turned their eyes towards the speaker, eyes widening along with the woman's wicked smile.

"Hey there, it's already been a few days. Miss me yet?" Sandra cooed, cocking her gun in the teens' direction. She and Seth began to make their way over to them and the teens tensed.

"Down on your hands and knees." Seth growled, pointing his gun straight at Cheren, staying a safe distance away from the martial artist. He did not have fond memories of being caught by Cheren.

Swearing, Cheren reluctantly went down, watching as his friends followed suit. Lenora resisted, smirking, "What do we have here? Children shouldn't play with guns. Come on, hand them over to Mama." She gestured with her hand threateningly.

Sandra ignored her and instead, shot a warning bullet a few feet to Lenora's side. She flinched, her glare intensifying. Hawes yelped out in fear, cowering behind his wife. Some screams flared up in the room at the sound of the gunshot. "Now get down, or next time, I'll actually aim, you bitch. And just to make it clear, I probably wouldn't be shooting you." To make her point, Sandra pointed her gun at Hawes.

Pursing her lips, Lenora got down on her knees. She glared up at the two grunts, stating, "I had no idea Team Plasma had fallen into crime and burglary. I thought you worked for the good of the people and their Pokemon!"

"Oh honey, don't lump us in with the people who follow the crap our leader spouts," Sandra laughed, walking towards the skeleton statue. To get her mind off of the lie she just made, she inspected the Dragonite display while Seth kept his eyes on the teens.

"Hmm…" she muttered, releasing one of her newly equipped Pokemon. A furry, powder blue flying creature emerged from its capsule, its leathery black wings flapping quickly. A black heart-shaped design was imprinted on its pink nose.

"Woobat," Sandra commanded, "Fly up and retrieve the skull." She pointed at the horned head of the Dragonite. With a piercing squeak, the Woobat ascended, glowing pink as it did. The same pink outline surrounded the skull, lifting it up into the air. The Woobat carefully used its Psychic to maneuver the skull into Sandra's waiting hands.

Hawes let out a pained squeak at watching the skull land in Sandra's hands. She ignored him, gazing around the room at all of the hostages. Her eyes fell upon the four teens, who all had their heads down, as did every other living being in the room. Growling, she yelled out, "Everyone, look up at me. Now."

Every head in the room shot up, gazing fearfully at the Team Plasma woman. Sandra retrieved a set of shades from her pocket, placing them over her eyes. Through them, she saw angry expressions on Belle, Touko, and Cheren's faces. Her gaze fell on Touya, who appeared stoic as ever. The other Team Plasma members had adorned sunglasses of their own and Sandra smirked.

She clutched the skull to herself and watched as Seth stepped over to Touya. The confusion on the teen's faces turned into shocked anger as Seth delivered a blunt blow to the back of Touya's head. A sharp cry escaped his lips before he fell to the ground, unconscious. At the same moment, a blinding light flooded the room, obscuring the occupants' visions. The people were too shocked to hear the sound of running feet as Team Plasma made their exit.

When the light cleared, Touko's eyes flew open and she groped for the spot where her brother was a moment ago. Finding nothing, she tried to focus her spotted vision, her heart speeding up in panic.

"To…Touya!" she babbled, turning around in a desperate circle, searching for her brother. "Touya!" She stood up, stumbling from dizziness. She whipped around, damaged eyes trying to find her twin. "Touya! TOUYA!" she cried out, feeling her heart lurch.

"Touya…where is Touya…?" Her voice fell as her body sagged back to the floor in defeat.

* * *

**A/N: CLIFFHANGER. Sorry! **

**Originally, this chapter was supposed to end in a cliffhanger anyways, but I totally switched around the events for it. So I think there's going to be more chapters than I had originally planned. **

**I wasn't sure how to do the evolution bit. I didn't want to just use a white light to portray the evolution process…so I decided to be a little more creative. Now I'm a bit excited on thinking of how to show the other Pokemon's evolutions. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are most appreciated! (It would make an awesome birthday gift!)**

**Cheers from an old geezer,**

**~Alexie**


	12. Ch 11: Poisonous Words

**A/N: Warning, some graphic violence ahead.**

**I can't believe I wrote to Chapter 11. Unbelievable. The other stories I started before ended at around 3,000 words. (They were so bad that I never released them on Fanfiction.) This story is now over 75,000 words, as of this release. So this is pretty incredible. I have my reviewers to thank for that. **

**Seriously, thank you for all the reviews and criticisms! It keeps me writing and improving my stories. I do take your criticism and suggestions into account, as long as they don't change my storyline too much.**

**So review! Please and thank you!**

* * *

_Chapter 11: Poisonous Words_

* * *

_September 30, 2010_

Burgh walked casually down the street, whistling to himself. It had been ages since he had returned to his hometown, Nacrene. Sometimes, the Gym Leader just needed to get away from the city and enjoy life a little. He ran a hand through his thick, wavy bronze hair, smiling to himself.

"Well, I suppose I'll pay Lenora a visit," he said to himself, turning onto another street. His heart skipped a beat when a car screeched around the corner, speeding quickly towards the western exit of the city. Burgh caught sight of the Team Plasma insignia on the back of the van before it turned another corner and went out of sight.

"My goodness, the way people drive these days! I coulda been killed!" He huffed.

Without another thought towards the van, Burgh continued on towards the museum, surprised to find a huge commotion outside. Lenora was barking at her security guards, who scattered to take control of the large crowd of people gathered in the courtyard, many with nervous expressions upon their faces. Police cars were arriving at the scene and Hawes greeted them, his mouth moving quickly with the words spewing from his mouth.

Burgh squeezed his way through the crowd, keeping an eye on Lenora as he went along. This was not a particularly difficult task for the slender and tall man, and he reached his friend in moments. "Heeeey Lenora! I've never seen your museum this busy before!" He chuckled, pulling at his red scarf.

Lenora whipped around, eyes widening, "Oh, Burgh! My, I didn't know you were coming by! You couldn't have chosen a worse day to visit." She shook her head, "There was a robbery. Some Team Plasma vigilantes made away with one of our fossil skulls!" She sighed heavily, rubbing the back of her neck. Lowering her voice, she continued, "They also kidnapped someone. A boy. Poor kid, knocked out in the back of the head with a gun. His friends are all pretty worried." She gestured towards three teenagers off to the side.

Trying to absorb everything Lenora had just said, Burgh glanced at the teens. A blonde girl was in tears, clutching at her purse tightly. Another girl was staring blankly into the crowd, her face a mask of devastation. A boy stood next to them, speaking to a police officer. He seemed calm and collected, but his fists were clenched tightly at his side.

"Hold your Zebstrikas! Team _Plasma?_" Burgh finally collected his thoughts. "Why would they do something like this?"

"The million dollar question," Lenora replied dryly, "Those bastards mentioned something about their 'not listening to crap their leader spouts.' I think they might be renegades."

Furrowing his eyebrows at the suggestion, Burgh thoughtfully said, "Oh my goodness! On my way here, a Team Plasma scared the living Litwicks out of me. Almost ran over me! You may be right, if that is so."

"You saw them?" He heard a girl's voice.

Burgh turned his head, seeing the teens staring up at him. The brunette girl, who had presumably spoken, narrowed her eyes slightly as she asked, "Which way did they go?" Behind her, a police officer stood, listening as well.

"Those guys were headed towards the western exit of the city." Burgh pointed in the general area, glad he had paid attention to the runaways. "My guess is that they were headed towards Pinwheel Forest, if they wanted to make an escape." He gave an enigmatic smile. "The place is like a maze. Few people know how to navigate the forest, let alone want to travel through it." He wagged his finger. "If someone wanted to run away and hide, that forest would be the place to do it." He spoke with a kind of pride in his voice, as if the forest was his own creation.

"Thanks," came the girl's curt reply. Before anyone could react, she slipped into the crowd, heading back towards the street. Burgh's eyes widened at the realization of the consequences of his words.

"W…wait! Touko!" yelled the boy as he swiftly followed.

The other girl started to follow, but Lenora grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. "Uh-uh, you are not going after them. Burgh!" She turned to the man, teal eyes aflame. "Go after those kids! They shouldn't be going into the Forest alone."

Scowling, Burgh put his hands on his hips. "I know that! I know that forest better than anyone, gosh." Without another word, he followed after the two teens.

* * *

It was moments like now that Touko was glad she was a long-distance track runner. As soon as she shoved through the crowd, she broke off into a brisk run, glancing at street signs as she sprinted. She had no idea where she was going, but she figured it would be better than standing around doing nothing while her twin was kidnapped. The thought made her heart clench and she put more effort into her run.

"Hey, Touko, stop!"

Hearing Cheren call out to her only made her run faster. She had no intention of letting anyone catch up to her, to stop her from saving her brother.

But Cheren was relentless. Putting his energy into a sprint, he caught up to his friend, yanking on her ponytail to pull her to a halt.

With a gasp, Touko stopped, nearly falling backwards from the force of the pull. She slapped the hand away viciously, whipping her head around. Glaring daggers at Cheren, she yelled, "What the hell was that for?" She was breathing heavily, but her voice was still strong and furious.

"You need to slow down and think, Touko!" Cheren replied, exasperated and breathless. "What exactly did you...intend to do? Chase down...a speeding car on foot? Go...up against a group of...armed thugs?" He took a deep breath, trying to calm his breathing. "And with what? You have nothing more than your Dewott! In fact." He adjusted his glasses, "You don't even know where the hell you're going."

Despite knowing that everything Cheren had said was true, Touko turned back around, a deep scowl etched on her face. "Shove off Cheren. I'm not going to stand around while those bastards-" She pointed to nowhere in particular. "-Have my brother captive. My fucking twin brother. Cheren, you're his best friend. How can you stand around and do nothing about it?" She turned back around, staring into his eyes.

Caught off guard by her words, Cheren fumbled for the right words. Touko shook her head. "Whatever. I'm going to keep going."

"Stop right there, young lady."

Both Touko and Cheren turned around in alarm to face Burgh. His serious eyes stared down the teens, mouth pursed tightly. "When I said where Team Plasma was headed, it was not so that you can rush into unknown territory without any preparation whatsoever. I daresay you know the layout of this city well enough to navigate it properly, let alone find the western exit. Also," he crossed his arms. "Pinwheel Forest is not some nice garden or park. It's full of dangerous beasts and insects. Some of the Bug Pokemon in the forest carry poison potent enough to kill a human. You want to charge into a deathtrap? That's absurd. Let the police handle it."

"No."

Burgh raised his eyebrows in surprise at Touko's swift answer. The girl stood, defiant in expression and posture. "I'll find the way myself. I'll get through that forest. I'm going to find my brother no matter what." Her eyes burned with determination and grit. "I dare you to stop me." Her words came off as more of a warning than a challenge, a tone that Burgh had not missed.

He stood, contemplating his choices. He knew he would not have a problem taking that girl back, yet...

He sighed, retrieving a set of keys from his pocket. "Fine, little lady, but there's no way I'll let you go alone to your death. I'll be your escort."

Stunned surprise lighted up Touko's scowl, but she growled, "How do I know you aren't going to just trick me or something?"

"Wow, harsh." Burgh flashed another mysterious smile, playing with his scarf. "I don't know. You tell me."

Chewing on her lip, Touko contemplated the choices. Slowly, she nodded, igniting a bright smile from Burgh. "Good then! Let's get going, shall we?"

Burgh turned back around, heading down a past street, Touko following cautiously. Cheren smiled slightly, sauntering after the two.

It did not take long to drive out of the city, as the forest was right out of the city limits. Majestic trees covered a wide expanse of land, a foreboding aura looming over their canopies. The forest was strangely silent, without any screeches or calls from the Pokemon living within. As the Trainers drew closer, they saw a van parked by the side of a grove of trees. A Team Plasma insignia was painted on the back.

As soon as Burgh stopped his car, Touko jumped out, dashing to the van. After a quick glance in the window, she cursed, kicking the van with her boot. From her reaction, Cheren deduced that the thugs were already gone. Burgh walked to the back, feeling the exhaust pipe. "The car's still warm. They couldn't have stopped very long ago. This forest is hard to navigate by car, so no doubt they went on foot."

"Then let's go after th-" Touko impatiently started to say, walking towards the trees, but Burgh interrupted her.

"I only said it was hard to navigate by car. I never said it was impossible. Come on." He walked back to his small car, revving up the engine. "There's a reason why I chose to drive to Nacrene."

* * *

"Damn, this kid weighs a ton," Seth puffed, trying to adjust the teenager slumped over his shoulder. "Can't we just drag him? Fucking kid deserves it," he complained, scowling at the memory of the incident at Wellspring Cave.

"Much as I like that idea, the pain would probably wake the kid up. I really don't want to deal with him right now." Sandra sighed, stepping over a tree root. "Anyways, you can't drag anything in here. Even the path is covered in roots and shit."

In truth, the path was barely visible anymore, having been overrun by various plants and scuffled by wild Pokemon. Trying to stay on the path was difficult, but the group knew it was a necessity for survival. The forest was unforgiving to strangers who wander off and get lost. So in dull resignation, the grunts continued trudging through the forest, trying to ignore the cries of various Pokemon in the distance.

Suddenly, one of the male grunts stopped, casting a glance behind them. "H...hey guys. Do you hear that?"

"I hear a lot of things, but I can't honestly say your voice is one I enjoy hearing," snorted one of the females.

Sandra irritably turned around to glare at the two bickering grunts when her ears perked to an unusual sound. "Wait..." she muttered, "I can hear something. It sounds like it's coming in this direction..."

"Kinda sounds like a car..." Seth mumbled.

A stream of light illuminated some trees in the distance and Sandra caught sight of something moving quickly through the groves. With a gasp, she exclaimed, "It is a car! Shit, were we followed? How the hell did they get a car in here?" Swiftly glancing around, she searched for a hiding place. There was no way they were going to outrun a car. Not while carrying a hostage.

Without another choice, she bounded into the nearby trees, straying from the path. "Hurry the hell up! We're taking a detour!"

One of the other grunts held out his hand in anxiety. "Wait, but if we stray from the path, we might get lost!"

"Yeaaaah, I really don't give a flying fuck anymore. If you choose to stay, I'll just kill you here so that you can't squeal to the authorities." She cocked her gun, eyes narrowed at her shaken comrades. They knew better than to disagree at this point.

"Let's go." Sandra disappeared into the thick greenery, followed closely by a stalwart Seth. One by one, the reluctant Team Plasma members stepped off the path as the sounds of the car got louder. Only the man who had originally voiced objection remained behind, still irresolute in his decision. Maybe he could just hide until the car passed by...

But his decision came too late. The bright lights were trained on him within moments and he stood frozen like a Deerling in headlights. The car screeched to a stop and car doors slammed. Before he could move, something slammed into him, sending him sprawling painfully onto the ground. Touko had tackled the grunt, now kneeling on top of him, screeching into his face.

"Where's my brother, you son of a bitch?!"

Cheren yelled, "Touko! Calm down! Don't just tackle someone like that!" He ran over to the ferocious girl, peeling her away from the dazed grunt. Burgh had come from his car, watching the scene unfold with a frown.

"Calm down, little lady. Screaming at the guy won't help you."

Ignoring him, she growled, pulling her Dewott's Pokeball out. Upon being summoned, Sir Wotterlot noticed his Trainer's angry aura almost immediately and he chanced a glance at her. The expression on her face contained only mindless fury, her eyes exuding vengeful insanity. Seeing Touko like this alarmed the Dewott, but he stood by, ready to act on her orders.

Gathering his senses, the enemy pulled out his own Pokeball, but Touko ordered, "Shoot it out of his hand!"

Acting in an instant, Sir Wotterlot let loose a jet of water, effectively disarming the shocked Team Plasma member. The monster ball bounced to the ground, rolling to a stop several meters away. "I didn't come here to have a Pokemon battle." Touko's eyes screwed into a deep glare as she growled, "Where is my brother?"

Frightened out of his skin, the man gaped wide-eyed at the bloodthirsty girl, mouth slack. Because he was unresponsive, Touko saw the need to be more persuasive. Much to her Pokemon's discomfort, she coolly commanded, "Sir Wotterlot, Razor Shell."

"Touko, this is going too f-"

"Ok, you know what, Cheren?" she whirled on him, eyes ablaze, "Shut. The. Hell. Up." She turned back to her Dewott, impatience dripping from her voice. "Razor shell!"

Reluctantly, the water Pokemon drew his razor blades, holding them, but not attacking. He sensed that Touko wanted him to attack, but before he did, the grunt, at his wit's end, screamed, "I give, I give! Have mercy, please!" He was a trembling mess. "My associates...went into the woods." He started to dry sob, "They're inside, somewhere...that's all I know...!"

Without another glance at the man, Touko swept into the throng of trees and left behind two very hurt and stunned companions.

Sir Wotterlot shivered, unable to follow after his Trainer. He knew she was crazy, but he was started to really appreciate it and to an extent, respect and revere it. Now, his doubts had surfaced once again.

He shook his head. He had to have faith in the girl. Something had obviously made her very mad and it bothered the Dewott that he had no idea what.

Cheren slowly readjusted his glasses, turning to Burgh. The Gym Leader was ostensibly unnerved, already moving towards the trees, regretting not having intervened earlier. "We need to find her, now. That silly child!" He cursed. He stepped in, disappearing amongst the dark green leaves.

Turning to the Dewott, Cheren softly addressed it. "Let's go." With Touko's Pokemon at his flanks, he entered the trees. He struggled through the foliage, seeing it only thickening with each step he took. He could hear the padding of Sir Wotterlot's flippers, knowing he was not lost. However, no other sounds came from the suddenly silent forest.

"Burgh?" Cheren called out, a twinge of nerves in his voice. He readied himself to call out once more when the ground beneath him suddenly gave out. Sharp branches and thorns from ground foliage ripped at Cheren's skin as he slid down a steep hill. Suddenly, a wave of water washed over the ground, absorbing some of the impact of his unfortunate slide.

With a final thud, Cheren rolled to a plateau, his body aching in pain. He felt a wet flipper on his hand, and looked up to see the concerned Dewott's eyes staring into his. Blinking in surprise, Cheren sat up, "Did you...break my fall with your Water Gun?"

Sir Wotterlot grinned as he nodded, exposing his tiny fangs. Feeling a smile spread across his face, Cheren warmly said, "Thanks. I probably would have been hurt pretty badly, huh…?" He broke off his rhetorical question to glance at his injuries. No blood came from his wounds, his clothes having no doubt been protecting his flesh. Still, some of the threads on his jeans and jacket were torn, much to his dismay.

He stayed seated, catching his breath and calming his heart rate. After a while, he stood up and brushed the detritus from his clothes, running his hands through his hair. He straightened his glasses to glance around him. "Burgh was serious. This place is a deathtrap. How am I supposed to find Burgh and Touko now?" His hands flew up to his head in frustration and he felt something hard tap against his head. His heart skipped a beat as he whipped his hand in front of his face, coming face to face with the XTransceiver.

"I am such a fucking idiot."

* * *

The dark forest swallowed Touko as she ventured deeper and deeper into the unknown place. Feelings of anxiety started to creep in on her, as well as guilt. She winced as another sharp pain shot through her legs. The tumble down the sudden drop had reduced her bare legs and arms into a mess of scrapes and cuts. She had no intention of staying down and forced herself to keep going.

"At least I'm not bleeding out..." she mumbled, casting a glance behind her. No one was there, and she felt her heart sink. "I...didn't mean to snap at them like that..." Touko muttered to herself, guilt washing uncomfortably over her as she walked. The unnerving silence of the forest did nothing to unease her discomfort.

Eyes downcast, Touko noticed something strange ahead. Scrutinizing the golden yellow lump, she noticed that it was a creature of some sort. She stopped in her steps, staring at the Pokemon from a distance. It appeared to be unmoving.

Cautiously, Touko approached the creature, noticing it was adorned in a strange leafy garb. Remembering the usefulness of her Pokedex, she pulled out the machine and scanned the Pokemon, watching as information popped up on the screen. "A Sewaddle?" She scanned the information. "Sews its own clothes, Bug and Grass Type, female, knows quite a few moves too..." She frowned, bending down to see the Pokemon. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the Sewaddle was moving, shivering from labored breaths. A part of her mind nagged her to move on and find her brother, to find those malicious Team Plasma thugs and make them pay, but she knew without support, she could not take them down. Thinking clearly for the first time in a while, Touko reached for the Bug Pokemon.

The Sewaddle's eyes slowly opened, peering at Touko. The little Pokemon made no effort to move, silently resigning herself to her fate. The hands of the human touched her and she shivered again.

Her body suddenly left the ground. An alarmed cry emitted from her mandibles, but the human's voice broke through. "Are you hurt little one?"

Surprised, the Sewaddle turned her beady eyes on Touko, letting out a feeble squeak. Touko fumbled in her bag, pulling out a variety of potions. Frowning, she mumbled, "If only I knew what was wrong. Ah..." she fingered a glittering tonic, playing with it. "I have a Full Heal...it should work, but..." She glanced down at the Pokemon, debating whether or not she should use such powerful medicine on some wild Pokemon. She still had to find her brother and she was wasting time here, worrying over some random Sewaddle.

Nonetheless, her body moved against her mind and she popped off the top of the bottle, spraying the potion all over the Sewaddle. The cooling mist tickled the Bug Pokemon and she slowly felt her ailment drain away, although her strength and stiff muscles were slow to recover. With a happy chirp, the Sewaddle began to squirm, indicating her desire to be released. Somehow understanding, Touko complied, setting the healed Pokemon back on the ground. She collapsed as soon as her tiny feet hit the ground, fatigue still overwhelming her tiny form.

Touko watched the Bug struggle, thoughts pondering her mind. Perhaps the Sewaddle was weak now, but in time...

"Hey." She caught the Sewaddle's attention. "Wanna come along with me? I don't know this forest really well and I kinda need another Pokemon right now..." she bit her lip, guilt slamming into her again. She would have to apologize to Sir Wotterlot later as well...she had really put him in a tough spot. "So what do you say?"

She withdrew an empty Poke ball, holding it towards the intrigued Sewaddle. She had never seen an object like that in her life. The vibrant red drew her towards the capsule and her mandible grazed the button on the center. The capsule popped open and with a shocked squeak, the unprepared Sewaddle was sucked into the ball. It snapped shut, trapping her within. Struggling for her freedom, the Sewaddle rattled the Poke ball, but her weakened state worked against her. Soon, the capsule locked and the Sewaddle noticed the metal fortress became an unmoving bulwark. As sudden as she was sucked in, she felt her body tingle as she shot back out of the ball to the cool forest atmosphere outside.

"Se...Sewad!" she cried in alarm, shying away from the trainer. Was the act of kindness the human showed her merely a trick?

"No no! Don't be afraid! Didn't you want to come with me?" asked a confused Touko. The Sewaddle blinked in her own confusion. She had few dealings with humans of her own, so the whole experience was confusing. Tentatively, she crawled back over to Touko, lingering at the side of her boot.

Slowly, she climbed up the side of the girl's leg, much to Touko's shock. However, Touko avoided panic, allowing her new Pokemon to climb onto her shoulder. There, the Sewaddle settled, content with her perch. She felt a sudden, unexplicable attraction towards the human, a desire to stay closer. Sighing in relief, Touko smiled. "Well, if that's settled, let's move on! I'm wasting time as it is!" She started off through the trees in a brisk pace once again, when realization suddenly hit her.

"I...I caught a new Pokemon!" she yelped, suddenly leaping up into the air, startling the relaxed Sewaddle. Touko lifted the Pokemon from her shoulders, forgetting about her mission momentarily. "I'm calling you Joy! Oh, what joy!" She laughed, replacing the confused Sewaddle back on her shoulder. "Oh, this is so gr-"

A loud hissing broke her out of her jubilee and Touko's snapped to attention, glancing around the dark trees. The hissing sound came again, with another overlapping. More of the sharp sounds joined, creating a bone-chilling cacophony. Joy tensed, remembering why she was hurt in the first place.

Seeing nothing, Touko opened her Pokedex, scanning the area around her for anything. When she turned her Pokedex upwards, it suddenly popped out a screen with a purple, larvae-like Pokemon.

"Veni...pede?" Touko furrowed her eyebrows, "Extremely brutal, potent poison...poison?" She did a double take on the words, dread starting to wash into her. Another entry popped up, now showing a circular lavender cacoon.

"Whirlipede...cuts into enemies with its sharp horns if provoked." She glanced up in alarm, eyes doubling in size at the sight before her.

The canopy of the trees were completely filled with Venipede, turning the pine leaves into a sea of violet. The hissing had toned down, but Touko could see every single one of their eyes trained on her, waiting for the proper provocation.

Unable to swallow with her dried throat, Touko took a small step back. _I need to stay calm, stay calm...if I don't make any noise, then I might get away. _

Joy whimpered, cowering on Touko's shoulder. Suddenly, a piercing beep resonated through the tense atmosphere. Alarmed, Touko glanced at her XTransceiver, seeing a strange radar pop up on the screen. "What the...?"

She did not notice a new entry popping up on her Pokedex even when an enormous shadow loomed over her. She took a glance when she heard the fainter beeping from the device. In the consternation of the moment, she managed to skim the first few parts of the entry.

"Scolipede, extremely vicious...will not back down until victorious...poisons prey..."

Finally realizing her predicament, Touko glanced up, body going numb.

* * *

Cheren hurried through the forest, heading towards the red dot in the distance. He was lucky that Touko was within distance, otherwise the built-in locator in his XTransceiver would not have picked up the signal on her own device. Sir Wotterlot kept up at a good pace, dashing quietly alongside the anxious boy. Both companions kept their ears perked, listening for any sign of their lost friend.

A piercing scream shattered the foreboding silence, stopping the trainer and Pokemon in their steps. Blood running cold, Cheren broke off into a mad dash, dodging trees to get to his friend.

He broke through the trees into a small clearing. Purple filled his vision and he gazed on in shock at the congregation of Venipede in the vicinity. Whirlpede hid in the trees, watching alongside their hissing pre-evolutions as a single Scolipede rampaged through the clearing, cutting off a desperate Touko from escape. She was clutching desperately, in one arm, to what appeared to be a Sewaddle. The other one was hanging limply at her side, blood trickling from a gash on her bicep. She sidestepped another ferocious lunge from the Scolipede, stumbling slightly.

Cheren wasted no time in throwing out all of his Pokemon, summoning his three Pokemon. They all sensed the urgency in the situation and were ready and alert as soon as their trainer called out his orders. The trio simultaneously bombarded the vicious poisonous bug, causing the Scolipede to screech in pain.

Eliza's Vine Whip cracked against the weak underbelly of her foe. Henry flapped his little wings as strongly as he could, created a potent Air Cutter that turned the gust into slicing blades of air. Marie had launched herself gracefully onto the Scolipede's back, out of harm's way from her comrades' attacks and began her own tirade of Fury Swipes.

Touko's eyes snapped to meet Cheren's eyes. Incredulity painted her features before a wide grin broke across her face.

"Cheren!" she cried out, running towards him. Cheren went to her, concern clouding his features. Touko opened her mouth to speak again, but words failed her, the apology she meant to give dying on her tongue. The girl was covered in cuts and bruises were starting to form on her arms and legs. The Sewaddle in her arms was shaking frightfully, whimpering softly. When they pulled away, Cheren could not help but stare questioningly at the small vulnerable Pokemon. "And this is…?"

Touko sighed, "I found her in the forest, hurt. So I took care of her, since I did not know where to…begin…looking for…Touya…" She trailed off, biting her lip.

Before Cheren could reply, the cry of his Pokemon drew his attention to the fight. Despite the numbers, the Scolipede outmatched its weak opponents, smashing them aside with his spiked tail. Eliza was panting heavily from the attack, having difficulty picking herself back up. Marie was desperately clinging to the Pokemon's back, digging her claws deeply into the hard shell of the Scolipede. Henry zoomed frantically through the air, trying to avoid the jabbing attacks from the horns as they speared ruthlessly at the Flying Pokemon.

"Stay here and out of the way!" Cheren ordered to Touko, rushing towards his Pokemon, issuing a rushed order. "Henry, try and fly into a blind spot and just whip up a gust. Keep it distracted! Marie, get away from that thing!" Turning to Eliza, he noticed that she was still conscious, but had not gotten up from the ground. She was breathing heavily, eyes narrowed in pain.

Swooping down to his first Pokemon, Cheren picked her up. He felt her body was unusually high in temperature and her complexion was vaguely turning lavender. Remembering his lessons at school, he cursed silently, immediately looking into his bag for an Antidote. As he pulled the cap off of the bottle of medicine, a thought struck him, causing his blood to freeze over. If Eliza had been poisoned by the attack, then what about…?

Touko refused to stay on the sidelines. Adrenaline was keeping her going, and she did not want Cheren to have to deal with another one of her problems. Turning to her Pokemon, Touko took a deep breath. "Sir Wotterlot…I uh…" she fingered her injured arm, wincing slightly, "I'm sorry. For the way I was earlier. I was really mad and almost made you do some pretty stupid things. Now that I think back, you didn't seem like you wanted to listen to me and for good reason, so…I'm sorry. Really…Do you forgive me…?" She trailed off, wondering if Sir Wotterlot even understood her apology.

A flipper hand touched her skin and Touko found herself peering into the dark eyes of her Dewott. A determined grin was plastered on the Water Pokemon's face and he said something. Touko could have sworn that she understood exactly what he said.

_Of course. Always!_

Her mouth went slack and she furrowed her eyebrows. When she started to question him, another screech filled the air as Marie was thrown against a tree. She landed on her feet but her fur bristled angrily.

Without wasting time, Touko turned back to Sir Wotterlot, saying, "Come on. Let's take that thing down. You and me!" She grinned, shooting her glare at the Scolipede. "Razor Shell. And make it a strong one aimed at that thing's belly!"

"Dewott!" cried her Pokemon has he activated his shells, charging forward to slash the giant beast. He landed both hits and to Touko's surprise, a spurt of blood exploded from the cut wounds. Had his Razor Shell always been this powerful?

The hissing from the Venipede intensified, but instead of advancing forward in attack, they retreated into the shadows of the trees, apparently afraid of Sir Wotterlot. "Again!" Touko cried, focusing on the reeling Scolipede. Although they appeared to be ineffective, Cheren's Pokemon had really started to weaken the rampaging beast. Touko felt a rush of pride for her Dewott, sensing that the watching Sewaddle was impressed as well. Sir Wotterlot dodged each of the lumbering attacks by the Scolipede, dealing his slashes in between. He was fighting to protect his friends. His trainer.

He had to win.

The Scolipede brandished its claws, screeching as it lunged at Sir Wotterlot, who barely dodged in time to avoid the poisonous stab. With the Scolipede's head vulnerable, he brought his shell blade up, hesitating momentarily. This Pokemon actually posed a threat to his friends. So, he reasoned, that anything he did was fair game.

The shining blade, now caked in blood, clashed down across the Scolipede's eyes, blood flinging into various directions. Roaring in pain, the blinded beast flung itself, reeling helplessly, crashing into trees. Sickening crunches could be heard as it battered its body into any trees in its path. Finally, it collapsed, bleeding onto the dark forest floor.

Touko's breath hitched in her throat. Her stomach turned, having finally realized what she and her Pokemon had done to the beast. "Oh…my…Arceus…" She breathed, staring numbly at the beast. While she was glad it had been subdued, to see the sight before her churned her insides.

Shaking her head of the image, she smiled at her Dewott. "Awesome job…as always…." She set Joy on the ground, where she wandered forward to inspect Sir Wotterlot. Touko cast one more glance at the Scolipede, guilt starting to wash over her. Speaking of guilt…

She looked at Cheren, who was calmly returning his Pokemon after he inspected them. He held Eliza in his arms, cradling her gently. After finishing his rounds, he casually threw a Pokeball at the fallen Scolipede, sucking the creature into the empty capsule.

"What the hell are you doing Cheren?" Touko gasped, stunned by his action.

"Well, I didn't want to leave it there. Besides, I doubt we will ever have a chance to catch another one. Those things are vicious. Professor Juniper wanted us to travel and collect information for her Pokedex. Scanning isn't enough." He gestured to his Pokedex. "See, only minimal information appeared for the Venipede and Whirlpede, but everything about the Scolipede shows up on this thing." He tucked the captured beast into his belt and returned his Pokedex. His eyes met Touko's aquamarine orbs as he said, "Now, let's tend to your wo-"

"I'm sorry," she suddenly blurted. "I'm sorry for the way I was earlier Cheren. I'm sorry that I got us into this mess." Her breath started to shake, "I'm sorry…for the way I treated you. I'm s-sorry for letting my anger get the best of m-me an-"

She was silenced when she felt gentle arms wrap around her. Surprise overwhelmed Touko as Cheren embraced her in a tender hug. Cheren shushed her quietly, smiling, "It's ok. I know you're just worried about your brother." He released his embrace, "Come on, let's get you treated so we can chase down those bastards." Cheren could feel a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks and hoped it was not noticeable in the dim forest light.

At a loss for words, Touko only nodded as Cheren dug into his pack for bandages. He quickly cleaned off the larger wounds, wrapping clean bandages neatly around them. When he saw the bleeding injury on her arm, he frowned, "What happened here?"

Furrowing her eyebrows, Touko strained to remember. "I'm not sure actually. I think the Scolipede might have hit me, but I really can't be sure. It might have been a tree, or-"

"Wait, the Scolipede _stabbed you?"_ Cheren gaped, immediately alert. "Why didn't you say so earlier! Touko, they carry _poison_ in their horns and claws! You're probably poisoned or-"

"Chill out, Cheren," Touko groaned, "If I was poisoned, don't you think I would be in much worse shape…?"

"Well I guess…."

"Then let's hurry! Come on, you tracked me with the XTransceiver right? Let's do the same for Touya. We might find him," she said, impatience dripping in her voice.

With a sigh, Cheren finished the bandages and Touko wasted no time in springing to her feet, while her adrenaline was still pumping. "So crank up the radar and let's go!"

Cheren complied, but warned, "As soon as we get his signal, we have to run right at it. The grunts will hear the beeping and know something is wrong. We won't have much time after that."

Touko shivered, remembering that the beeping was causes of her encounter with the Scolipede. She returned her Pokemon with praises before nodding towards Cheren. He pressed a few buttons before the radar appeared on his screen again. "Alright, let's head out."

* * *

Touko followed tentatively at Cheren's side, feeling her adrenaline dying down. She felt increasingly tired but forced herself to keep going. She was so close now, so close to finding her brother, after all the trouble she went through.

After ten minutes of walking, her wounds began to throb dully, but she pushed the pain back, feeling a strange numbing sensation sweeping over her.

Cheren noticed she had slowed down. "Touko, are you alright?"

Touko just nodded, brushing off his concern. "Yeah. Just tired."

"We can stop, if y-"

"No! Cheren, we have to find Touya!" She managed to focus her eyes on Cheren. Her companion frowned, nodding.

He offered his hand to her with a smile. "If you're tired, I'll pull you along."

Touko took his hand without another word, trying to concentrate on walking.

Glancing around, she saw the trees moving in ways they should not: swirling in her vision, fading in and out, and blurring too much for her to distinguish trees from the background.

"Hey Cheren, the forest is really weird here," she commented, her voice sounding quiet in her ears. A ringing pitch filled her hearing, silencing every other sound around her. She heard Cheren say something, but a nebulous veil descended over her mind. Everything was fuzzy, with sharp jabs of pain every so often. Was she even walking anymore? Was she still with Cheren?

"Hey? Touko? Touko!" Cheren's calls became increasingly frantic as the girl did not respond back. Instead, her head lolled to a side, her body tittering dangerously. Cheren reached to steady her, feeling the cold sweat on her clammy skin. She mumbled incoherently, as Cheren placed a hand to her forehead. It felt abnormally warm and Cheren could have sworn that her face was starting to turn a light shade of purple.

"Damnit, Touko, you were poisoned after all!" Cheren hissed, eyes darting to the wound on her arm. It was too late to cut off circulation of the poison. Adrenaline was a substance only humans had and perhaps Pokemon showed quicker reactions to the toxins because they had larger doses, without the help of bodily chemicals to keep them alert and active.

Again, Touko murmured inaudible words, eyes gazing blankly forward. She seemed to show some effort in straightening herself, but at that moment, her knees buckled, sending her falling to the ground.

Luckily, Cheren stopped her fall, but his heart sank when he felt her go limp in his arms. "Touko. Hey Touko..." He licked his dry lips nervously, trying to get the attention of his unconscious friend. Her skin was becoming hotter by the minute. Mind racing, Cheren stood, clutching onto Touko, trying to figure out what to do in this mess. At this point, finding Touya with the XTransceiver was no longer an option. He turned off the radar before taking out one of his Pokemon. With a snap, his Pidove appeared, tired but unharmed.

"Hey, I know you're tired. But please, do me this favor?" Cheren pleaded, glancing into the forest. "Search all around ahead as fast as you can and see if there are any humans around here. Come straight back as soon as you find someone. We'll go from there." With a chirp, Henry flew off, acknowledging his command.

Cheren reached for the ground to grab Touko's fallen bag, slinging it over his shoulders. He removed her hat and stowed it within his pack before bending down to hook his arms under Touko's knees. With a hand supporting her back, he heaved his friend up into a bridal style carry, trying to keep her unsupported head from rolling back.

She was breathing heavily, face scrunched in pain and it tore Cheren to know that he had nothing to help her. His best hope was that his Pidove will find Burgh before it was too late. He could only hope that they will not run into Team Plasma first. With those thoughts in mind, he set off quickly, carrying his dearest friend in his arms.

* * *

Burgh landed gracefully onto another tree branch, swearing loudly. He had lost both of the teens and he had already been wandering around for well over an hour. None of his Pokemon had reported back yet and he was beginning to wonder just how deep into the forest the kids were.

Suddenly, a flash of white zipped by and Burgh's eyes snapped onto the figure of a Pidove flying around him. Strange, he had never seen these Pokemon in here...

The Pidove began to turn around and fly away, but Burgh called out, "Wait, are you one of the teenager's Pokemon? Either the black-haired boy or the brown-haired girl's?"

The Pidove snapped his attention back reflexively and cooed affirmatively. Sudden urgency in his voice, Burgh demanded, "Take me to them."

* * *

A sudden mumble broke Cheren out of his thoughts. His arms were becoming sore and tired from carrying Touko and his feet were beginning to drag. He turned his attention to the girl in his arms, his tired eyes widening when he saw her own aquamarine eyes opened.

Dazed, she breathed, "Cheren...Touya...he's close...I can f...feel him..." She took a long shivering breath, "If we run into...the grunts, use my Dewott..." She tried to detach her Poke ball with numb fingers, but her hand felt limply back to her side.

"I'll figure it out, you just rest," Cheren said quickly, listening to his surroundings. To be honest, he just wanted to get Touko out of this forest as soon as possible. But by doing so, he was leaving behind her twin. He needed the element of surprise, now that he had cumbersome problems holding him back.

"Touya...he's over there..." She raised a finger slightly to point to the left. "I feel him...Cheren." Although her voice was weak and feverish, her statement held a resolute tone, as if she fully believed in the statement she had just made.

Walking in the direction the delirious girl had pointed him in, Cheren treaded as quietly as he could in case the grunts really were ahead. Touko's breathing was still shaking, sweat beading on her forehead.

After ten minutes of walking and nothing showed up, Cheren sighed. "Maybe you made a mistake. You probably just-"

He stopped short, suddenly alert. It was faint, but he heard something in the forest.

Voices.

Human voices.

"Sage Gorm, please, forgive us. It took us a very long time to get here. We're so sorry."

"As long as you are here now, that is all that matters," an old man responded. "What have you to show me?"

Cheren had been inching closer to the voices, noticing that the trees broke off into another clearing. Gingerly, he set Touko down behind a tree and squatted next to her, peering around the trunk.

All of the robbers, with the exception of the man that Touko had assaulted, had gathered in the clearing. A finely robed man stood in their center, looking very interested at the bundle in one of the grunt's hands. As it was unraveled, it was revealed to be the stolen skull. Confusion clouded the old man's face.

"What is that...?"

"Well, our Lord was telling us about something in the museum..."

"You dolts!" He roared, causing the people to jump. "That's not what he was after!"

As he continued to scream, Cheren tuned him out, glancing around the clearing for his friend. His eyes caught sight of a figure leaning against a tree a distance away. Touya had been left gagged and tied up off to the side of the clearing. Bingo.

His mind carefully formulating a plan, Cheren pulled out his Poke balls. The robbers were most likely still armed and had Pokemon in their possession as well. Rescuing Touya and Touko, Cheren realized, was not going to be an easy task.

He inspected his Poke balls, thinking about which Pokemon he had left. Eliza was probably still disoriented by the poison, but if push came to shove, she would be a valuable fighter. Marie probably could not fight much longer. Henry was off searching for another person, and the Scolipede...

Cheren shivered, tucking the Scolipede back into his belt. That was one Pokemon he was not ready to handle, even though it was too heavily injured to be of much use.

When he finalized the plan in his head, he carefully took Touko's Dewott from her belt. He walked out of earshot of the Team Plasma gathering and released the Pokemon, wincing when he heard the loud snaps of the Poke balls opening. He bent down, addressing the Pokemon in whispers, detailing his plan to them.

It was a tricky gamble, but it was one he had to take.

* * *

**A/N: Another Cliffhanger! Sorry. Actually, it was more of an excuse for me to think more clearly of Cheren's little gamble before I actually type it out. **

**On a side note, TOUKO FINALLY GOT A POKEMON!**

**Emphasis on FINALLY. To be honest, I wasn't going to have her get a Pokemon for another 5-7 chapters, but I suddenly wanted her to have a Sewaddle, so on a whim, I included that in the forest scene.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed that! Please review! Much appreciated. :D**

**Until next time**

**~Alexie**


	13. Ch 12: Toxic Thinking

**A/N: First of all, someone drew me fanart! Fanart by BluechanXD! It's of Travis from one of the last chapters. Remember little Travis and his amazing Patrat? Well, Youngster Joey and his Ratata beg to differ: fav. me/d3jh7ty **

**Just take out the spaces in the link. :D**

**Anyways, here's another chapter. It's a little shorter again, which is super stupid, but I honestly was running out of ideas. I was literally jamming new ideas (that I forced myself to think up, dammit) into the story just to extend it. Whatthehelliswrongwithme. **

**I can only pray you enjoy this. It's almost as if it's not Pokemon anymore. Bah. **

* * *

_Chapter 12: Toxic Thinking_

* * *

_September 30, 2010_

Cheren counted four enemies: five if he included the old man. However, his plan only called for picking off the fit opponents first, and he knew there was no possible way to do so fairly.

The die was cast.

Silently, he signaled the hidden Purrloin in the trees. With a devious grin, the Pokemon leapt through the tree noisily, created a raucous disturbance in the once-silent leaves.

Immediately, the five Team Plasma members clasped their mouths shut, staring stiffly at the trees around them. Purrloin leapt through the leaves again, creating another cacophony of sound. Cheren pressed himself against his tree, heart pounding madly. He cast a quick glance at Touko to make sure she was reasonably hidden. His heart eased when he saw Sir Wotterlot standing next to her, protecting his Trainer if worst came to worst.

He stopped breathing when he heard voices of confusion from the clearing. Cheren began to mumble soundless prayers to the gods, hoping for some luck to accomplish his ridiculous plan.

"What was that?" squeaked one of the female grunts. "What if it was one of the forest's beasts? Oh no, it will surely kill us!" Her comrades were wearily gazing at the direction of the sounds. Each of the grunts reached for their guns again, sparking an angry retort from Sage Gorm.

"By Arceus, would you idiots put your blasted guns away? I'll have you know, Master Ghetsis phoned me while I was coming here and he was less than pleased with the flashy manner in which your raised your firearms. Honestly, do young people today only know how to point guns?" Gorm chided the dejected individuals as if they were merely childish nuisances in his eyes. Reluctantly, the grunts replaced their weapons, scrutinizing the forest, trying to find the mysterious creature.

Cheren finally took a small breath, an icy chill flowing down his back. He could not believe his luck: the grunts were unarmed. Cheren was now dealing with five unarmed enemies.

He felt a sudden surge of confidence gripping his shaking form.

"I say one of us should check it out. Lisa, why don't you?" Sandra turned to the woman who had originally spoken, a wide smile spreading across her face. "I mean, you were the most observant of us all. Do us the favor, ok?"

"But-"

"Go." Sandra pointed her finger, freezing eyes stabbing into the frightened woman. Lisa hopelessly nodded, fingering her gun again. Unwillingly, she allowed her hand to trail off of the cold steel of her weapon and onto the smooth exterior of her Poke ball. With a tight grip on the capsule, she headed to the edge of the clearing to investigate.

Footsteps approached Cheren's location and he chanced a peek around the tree, determining Lisa's position. She was not far off from his tree. Adrenaline began to rush through the raven-haired boy's body and he carefully snapped a twig on the ground, drawing Lisa ever closer to his hiding place with each discreet sound. The footsteps became louder but slower and Cheren sensed the female grunt's hesitation and fear. When he heard her heavy breathing right around the tree, he almost felt guilty for what he was going to do next.

Almost.

As soon as she was in his peripheral vision, the hidden boy struck out like a Seviper, arms snaking around her throat with perfect fluidity. He was not yet at the skill level of doing pressure point knockouts, but he certainly knew other ways of rendering someone unconscious. Quickly, he initiated his choke, jamming his thumb joint up into the poor woman's artery.

A shocked whimper escaped her throat, the grunt unable to digest everything that was happening in that second. Before she could realize her situation, her eyes had rolled into the back of her head, her body going limp. At that moment, Cheren let go, supporting the unconscious woman as she slumped to the ground. He had learned enough to know exactly when to let go of a choke before it became deadly.

As Cheren gently set her down on the ground, he checked her pulse, breathing a small sigh of relief. Instantly, his confidence skyrocketed. In the back of his mind, Cheren felt disturbed for having hurt another person and had used his martial arts for attacking, but in his situation, he was left with little choice.

It was still self-defense, after all. The lives of his friends were at stake, and Cheren was willing to sacrifice a little morality to ensure their safety.

One down, four to go.

Catching Marie's glinting eyes, Cheren made a motion to his Pokemon. Understanding his silent signal, the Purrloin disappeared into the trees again, creating no noise this time around. He hoped Eliza was in position now as he made his way through the trees, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Eyes narrowing, Sandra tapped her foot once. Lisa had not spoken once since she entered the forest and apprehension began to grip her nerves.

"Hey, Lisa, find anything yet?" She called out, eyes glued to the spot Lisa disappeared into.

When no response came, the other male grunt yelled, "Lisa, quit pissing your pants and tell us if you found something or not!"

The unnerving silence that followed caused Sandra to unleash a manic screech. Sage Gorm cast the hysterical woman an unimpressed look. Obscenities flew from her mouth and she completely forgot about her surroundings, only focused on the trees that had swallowed up her comrade.

"What the hell is wrong with this forest?" she shrieked, enraged. Nearby, Cheren stifled a laugh, loving the fact that the psycho was so perturbed by the disappearance of her friend. He had counted on her spastic anger as a distraction, but could never have possibly hoped for it to be as good as it was. It was yet another stroke of luck that the other three were so focused on the raging Sandra that none of them noticed the boy quietly slipping to where his bounded friend was.

As quickly as he could, Cheren dragged Touya behind a tree several feet from the clearing, immediately working to undo his bindings. He glanced upwards at Eliza, who stood poised on the thick tree branch, awaiting her Trainer's next command. She seemed to sense the vitality of attention in their current situation and stayed on full alert.

"Sandra, stop!" Seth called out, reaching for her shoulder. "Calm down and let's think this out. We don't even have a clue what happened to Lisa or Greg." Unbeknownst to the grunts, Touko and Cheren had taken out their missing friends, but this mystery only served to enrage Sandra further.

"Let's get the fuck out of here. Grab the boy-"

Cheren braced himself, gritting his teeth. His luck had run out. He worked even more fervently at the knots holding Touya's wrist, having already finished the ones at his legs. He flinched when yet another incensed scream, courtesy of a psychotic Sandra, reverberated through the clearing. He could barely hear her stabbing words as he continued to undo the knots, knowing he only had moments left. As the last of the knots came undone, he noticed Sandra's screams had stopped and an eerie silence had fallen.

A crack of an opening Poke ball broke the calm and the tell-tale 'mew' of a Purrloin sounded. Cheren stiffened. If that Purrloin smelled him, he would be discovered and his gamble would collapse. He had no choice. His friends were his top priority and he just had to believe in his own power.

A piercing whistle cut through the air, causing a certain Purrloin's ears to perk. She stood up from her hiding place in the tree, where she had been patiently awaiting for the signal. Now her fun could begin. Spying her targets, the Pokemon arched her back gracefully before pouncing onto an unsuspecting Sandra's head.

Sandra yelped, trying to pull the Purrloin from her head. The claws dug into her skin, causing the woman's cheeks to bleed. Marie had missed her eyes, but the pain was excruciating as it was. Before Sandra could begin pounding on the Pokemon, Marie jumped from her head, gracefully latching herself onto Seth's head. He, in turn, yelled out in panic, the bloody claws maiming his face as well. The unharmed grunt screamed, running for the clearing's edge, eager to get away from what appeared to be an insane, wild Purrloin. He disappeared through the thicket of trees, running for his life, wherever that may be. Sage Gorm had taken a startled step backwards as well, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

In the consternation, Cheren regretted not being able to watch the hysteria unfold as he focused on the task at hand. Eliza had whipped down her vines at his command, wrapping them tightly around Touya's torso and knees. Cheren quickly clambered up the tree, holding onto his Snivy as she began the grueling job of pulling up the teenager with her Vine Whip. Cheren could see that she was still tired from the poison, but he believed that his Pokemon was strong.

With whispered words of encouragement, he watched his Snivy slowly reel up his unconscious friend. As the frenzied yells from the clearing continued, Eliza finally hefted the heavy teen onto the thick branch of the tree before collapsing down, breathing heavily. As she unwrapped her vines from Touya, Cheren returned her to her Poke ball with smile and turned his attention back to his friend.

Cheren gingerly removed the gag from Touya's mouth and propped him into a sitting position, his back to Cheren. He would have to make do with the awkward place they were at and he forcefully slammed a palm into Touya's upper spine.

The brunette let out a gasp as his eyes flew open, but a dizzy sea of black immediately threatened to pull him back. Through the haze, he felt a comforting hand running down his back repeatedly, bringing back his consciousness. In the back of his mind, he tried to break through his foggy mind and grasp what was happening.

Suddenly, a cool rush of air broke through his lungs, igniting another gasp from Touya. With a knee pressed firmly into Touya's back and two hands gripping his shoulders, Cheren pulled the brunette's torso back, forcing his air path to open. Relieved to hear Touya's breathing returning to normal, he quickly whispered, "Touya, can you understand me?"

Something clicked in Touya's head and he mumbled, "Cheren...?" Suddenly, he hissed in pain, finally aware of the sharp throbbing in the back of his neck. "Shit, well that's a pleasant feeling to wake up to..." he drawled sarcastically, his headache only serving to exacerbate his foul mood.

Another sigh expelled from Cheren's lips, which turned up into a smile. "Glad to see you awake, buddy..."

Before either of them could get a word in edgewise, an animalistic screech echoed through the trees and with a sinking heart, Cheren realized it came from Marie. His breath caught in his throat as he heard the old man speak again.

"Honestly, you fools are pathetic," Sage Gorm condemned the only two grunts left. Sandra and Seth were breathing heavily, gingerly feeling the wounds on their faces. Sandra flashed angry eyes at the Purrloin struggling under the claws of her own Pokemon.

She glared at the Sage, ready to retort to his insult when he suddenly said, "That Pokemon has a Trainer. I heard a whistle shortly before it attacked. No doubt that trainer is still nearby."

The two grunts blinked, a vague memory swirling in their heads. The cave, the Blitzle, the teenagers, an Oshawott, a Lillipup, and a Purrloin...

Gasping at the realization, Seth gritted his teeth, "That boy..."

"That fucking brat had a Purrloin! This can't be a coincedence!" screeched Sandra. She began to turn in a circle, her piercing green eyes scanning the trees for any sign of Cheren. Her short, ginger hair whipped around harshly as she spun, as if they were aflame in her anger. "Get the fuck out here, brat!" She snarled. "And bring that boy too. Else your Purrloin is going to suffer for it."

Anger arose within Cheren, mingling with the dawning hopelessness of his situation. His Pokemon was in a hostage situation and if he recalled her, it would give away his location.

When he did not reply immediately, Seth growled, "Or maybe we'll just search the area. I'm sure you can't move very well with your unconscious friend. Either way, you lose, you little dick."

Cheren was not worried about being found high up in the tree, but his heart stopped a moment when he realized something...someone valuable he had left on the ground.

Touko.

There was no way Sir Wotterlot could truly defend her from all harm. Cheren knew he was at a checkmate.

Desperately, Cheren whispered some words to the disoriented Touya. "Stay here, don't move and don't make a sound." Ignoring the questioning look in Touya's dizzy eyes, Cheren quietly leapt out of the tree and quietly ran a distance away from the brunette. He drew closer to the edge of the clearing, biting his lips. What he was about to do was suicide, but he hoped to buy some time until Burgh came. That would take a miracle.

Another string of threats echoed through the trees and with shaky fingers, Cheren withdrew his Poke ball, hesitantly recalling his Purrloin. Immediately, all attention snapped to his new location; Cheren stepped out as confidently into the clearing as he could, viciously glaring at the remaining three enemies. Sandra smirked, glad that the trainer had been lured out.

"Smart boy. Looks like you know when you have lost," Seth sneered, his dull blue eyes scanning over Cheren's defiant figure. His hood had fallen in the struggle with Cheren's Purrloin, revealing a shock of strawberry blonde hair.

Cheren bit back a retort, determined not to give them any provacation. He had to hold out, just a little longer.

Sandra curled her lips in disgust, directing her Purrloin at Cheren. "Tell us where you hid that other brat. He's very important to us, you see."

Cheren's eyes wandered over to the fossilized skull in the old man's hands. Noticing, Seth chortled, "We'll give you back the skull if you give us your friend. A priceless artifact for a single, insignificant person. Good deal, right?"

Cheren's mouth opened in disbelief and felt an angry swirl of emotion erupt from that despicable statement.

He tossed out Eliza's Poke ball, revealing the proud Snivy. Her leaves drooped from fatigue and her eyes seemed half-lidded, but she stood as confident as ever.

Sandra smirked, tossing out her other Poke ball, summoning her Woobat. Seth released his own two Pokemon, a rather corpulent Patrat and a foul-smelling Trubbish.

Cheren retched at odor of the trashy Pokemon, but anger kept him grounded. In Eliza's current condition, fighting after four stronger opponents was impossible. Still, the Snivy remained stalwart, her resolution to fight undying in her sharp eyes.

Just as Sandra called out an order, an explosion at her feet cut her off, sand and gravel clouding her vision. Another explosion ignited near Seth and this time, Cheren saw that it was a shiny, sickle-shaped light that had caused the attack. Hope began to flood back into his heart when he realized that it resembled...no, looked exactly like an Air Cutter.

"My, my, you kids sure found yourself into quite a mess, haven't you?" A soft voice surprised the boy.

Turning around, Cheren could only stare at the man who had arrived. "Burgh!" He breathed, relief and shock sweeping over his body. It threatened to knock him off his feet when another sound caught his attention. His Pidove, after attacking with his Air Cutters, had circled back around to greet his Trainer. Cheren reached his arm out to create a perch for his trusted Pokemon to land on. Henry cooed affectionately as Cheren muttered, "You were incredible. Thank you so much."

Burgh turned his gaze over to the three opponents before him. The grunts were staring angrily as ever, but Sage Gorm had widened his eyes in recognition. Before neither of his grunts could command their Pokemon again, he raised a hand.

"We shall take our leave then."

Shocked eyes trained on the old Sage and he cleared his throat, "Our manpower and morale is low and we must not fight with an opponent who clearly has the advantage. You know your orders well and I can safely say that you all have failed your mission." He used his derogatory tone again, belittling the enraged grunts before him. Sandra snapped, "Our morale isn't low! I have plenty of fucking morale. Like hell am I giving up without a fight."

"We can take him. Just watch," Seth gritted his teeth, glaring viciously at the trainers before him.

"No means no!" The old man's voice magnified, booming across the clearing. Using the moment that the grunts flinched, he continued, "That man is no ordinary Trainer. He is the Gym Leader of Castelia City and he is known to use Bug Types. This kind of terrain is his element and I wouldn't be surprised if he already has Pokemon set up in the shadows. This whole battle is a trap."

Sage Gorm stepped forward, striding purposefully towards Burgh and Cheren. At a distance between both parties, he kneeled down, carefully setting the skull down on the ground. He stood back up, walking back to the grunts without another word. Sandra caught the look in Sage Gorm's eye and reluctantly nodded to his silent command. As Cheren opened his mouth to protest, Sandra yelled, "Flash!"

The dim forest exploded into a blinding flash, exactly as it had happened in the museum. When the lights cleared, Cheren saw spots in his vision and noticed the absence of the three Team Plasma members. Loudly, he swore, returning his Pokemon.

Next to him, Burgh slowly opened his eyes, sighing when he noticed that the enemies had escaped.

"Well, guess there's nothing else we can do…" He walked forward, stooping down to retrieve the ancient skull. Quizzically, he turned to Cheren, "Where are your friends? I didn't see the little lady or whoever was held hostage by the Team Plasma people."

With so much happening at once, Cheren felt his brain spinning in circles. Now that the fight was over and a sense of safety descended on the atmosphere, the adrenaline within him drained away, leaving him very tired.

"They're both nearby. I hid them while I tried to get those bastards' attention. We have to hurry out of here!" His eyes flashed desperately. "Touya might have a concussion from that hit, and Touko…Touko…" He bit his lip. "She's been poisoned."

Burgh immediately froze up, eyes widening slightly before narrowing sharply. "By what?"

"A Scolipede."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Burgh whipped out two of his Poke balls and promptly returned Pokemon that had, indeed, been hiding in the surrounding shrubbery. He made a strange clicking sound with his tongue, and a lean Pokemon shot out from the trees, coming to a halt in front of Burgh. The Leavanny stood taller than most, easily coming up to the same height as Cheren.

Urgently, Burgh turned to Cheren, "Where is the little lady? I have an antidote, but it can only do so much. She needs to get to a hospital right away."

His blood ran cold. Burgh's reaction made her condition seem so critical and now, Cheren feared for his friend's life. Without a second though, he rushed off towards the area he hid Touko in. "Sir Wotterlot!" He called out, "Come out where I can see you. We need to leave right now!"

As he entered the trees again, he searched the trunks for the Dewott. Spotting the confused Pokemon, he dashed towards him, his heart jumping into his throat. Touko was breathing much heavier now, her face aflame. Pain was etched in every part of her sweat-covered face. Cheren's hand snapped back the moment he felt her forehead; the heat radiating from it was immense.

Burgh appeared from around the tree, a syringe in his hand. Cheren stiffened, about to object, but Burgh cut him off, "Relax, it's sterilized. Hold her still, this needs to be done quickly." He placed the skull on the ground as he kneeled down to Touko.

Burgh seized one of Touko's limp arms, squeezing a section of her skin tightly. He injected the needle into her numb arm, slowly releasing the antidote stored within. As soon as he finished, he pulled the needle out, capped it, and gave it to his waiting Leavanny. The Pokemon stored the needle into a pouch it was carrying. Burgh swiftly picked up the girl, easily carrying her in his arms. "Go get her brother. We need to leave now."

Numbly nodding, Cheren pulled out a Poke ball, returning a confused and helpless Sir Wotterlot. He dashed back into the clearing, Burgh and his Leavanny close at his heels. Bursting back into the trees on the opposite side, he looked at the treetops for his friend. Panic began to seize him when Touya was nowhere to be found.

A faint moan caught his attention and he saw the brunette crumpled on the ground, struggling to get to his feet. Concerned, Cheren ran to his friend, asking, "What happened?"

"I…should be asking…you that…" Touya spoke in broken sentences, brain still hazy from being knocked out. His face was a mask of irritation, and he made no effort in trying to maintain his emotionless expression. "Leaving me in a tree…real brilliant, dumbass."

Cheren could not bring himself to be irritated by Touya's typical post-awakening attitude and promptly scooped the heavy boy up into his arms. Touya gasped, his scowl deepening, "What-"

"No time. We need to get out of here." Cheren knew better than to tell Touya that his sister was poisoned. It would simply create a cumbersome situation in his state. Ignoring Touya's protests, he turned back to Burgh, grunting under the weight of the heavier boy.

Leavanny appeared beside him, tapping Cheren shoulders. It offered its skinny arms out, a smile glinting in its coral-red eyes. Noticing the boy's hesistation, Burgh explained, "Let Leavanny carry your friend. He may not look it, but he's quite strong."

Doubt still clouding his face, Cheren gingerly handed an annoyed Touya to the tall Pokemon, who took the weight of the boy with little trouble. Nothing surprised Cheren's tired mind anymore and he turned to Burgh for instruction. "Take the skull please, since Leavanny and I have our arms full." He gestured to the skull that Leavanny had left on the ground. With a curt nod, Cheren reached down to pick up the artifact. Leavanny briskly walked off, motioning the humans to follow after him.

* * *

Belle sat quietly on the steps of museum, absentmindedly playing with her Poke balls. She had dug them out while waiting, glancing up every so often to see if her friends had returned. Her eyes were tired from crying salty tears. It had been hours and no one had returned. Was the tall man in the green clothes not supposed to have brought Cheren and Touko back? Where was everyone? Loneliness stabbed at Belle, but no more tears would fall.

Lenora, thoroughly irritated, had been pacing back and forth when Burgh had not returned with the teens. _Had he gone off with them to the forest? Why, that fool! _she inwardly swore. She had left Hawes to take care of the museum. Her husband was devastated by the loss of the skull but she knew this only drove him to guard the rest of his precious exhibitions more closely. Her sparkling teal eyes wandered to the depressed girl hunched over the stairs. Quietly, she approached Belle, standing next to the blonde.

The girl looked up at Lenora, questioning her with her emerald eyes. Lenora offered her a sympathetic smile, "Why don't you come on inside, baby girl? No use sniveling on the cold, stone steps like this. Come on." She offered a hand to the girl.

Belle took it gently, letting out a yelp when Lenora pulled her strongly to her feet. She stumbled, but the towering woman steadied her, a laugh bursting from her red lips. "Now, now, don't fall back down!"

Belle felt a small smile tugging at her lips and she mumbled, "Thanks."

Lenora pulled her inside, asking, "So you're a trainer? Did you come here for a Gym Battle?"

"Uh…yeah. My friends and I all did…" Belle fell silent. Lenora pursed her lips, seeing that that was not the right thing to ask. An idea sparked in her mind and she suggested, "Well, how about we have your battle now? When your friends get back, I'll have a hard time trying to fight with each of you!"

She laughed, watching Belle's eyes widen in surprise. "No use moping around, dear. All this negative energy is no good for a lovely young girl like you. Trust in Burgh and your friends to bring that boy back, ok?" The Gym Leader spoke with so much conviction that Belle was starting to believe in her words. An unsure smile spread across the blonde's lips and she allowed herself to be pulled into a large library in the back of the museum.

Massive bookshelves loomed high in the voluminous room, creating pathways throughout the library. Belle felt like she had walked into a city composed entirely of bookshelves. Before she could walk in, however, Lenora held a hand up.

"Normally, I would have my little challengers find their way through the maze I set up here, but today, I'll make an exception for you." Lenora winked, leading Belle into the maze of bookshelves.

Belle followed, gaping, "Wait, the bookshelves form a maze?"

"Why yes!" Lenora chuckled, taking a turn. "It makes organization a little tricky, but this is a private library. No one is allowed back here unless they are a worker or a challenger. This is simply a treasure trove of all the books my husband and I have accumulated over the years from our travels and studies." She took another turn. Belle felt her head spinning from the ridiculous maze and was grateful that Lenora had not required her to find the way through herself. Even more confusing was how Lenora managed to collect so many books to fill the towering bookshelves.

After another minute, Lenora stopped in front of a narrow bookshelf. Belle peered around her, confused. It looked like a dead-end, but Lenora reached out and removed one of the thickest books. She reached in, seemingly to press something and suddenly, the bookshelf swung back, revealing a hidden passageway. Belle gasped, peering into the bookcase. Indeed, there was a switch there, no doubt the trigger to the mechanism that controlled the door.

Lenora replaced the heavy volume, chuckling, "Come along now. It's just a silly, little-old switch." She strutted down the dimly lit tunnel, disappearing slowly as she descended a flight of stairs. Belle followed cautiously, frightened and intrigued by the mysterious Gym. Lenora led her into another voluminous room and Belle wondered how there could be such a massive underground battlefield. Unlike the tunnel, the battlefield was brightly lit with hundreds of torches along the walls and ceiling. It provided a warm and mystical glow to the field and Belle felt as if she were in some kind of treasure-hunting movie.

With a confident stride, Lenora went to her spot on the opposite side of the field, gesturing for Belle to stay where she was. Turning around, the Gym Leader appraised the girl, noting her nervous posture and unsure expression. Curling her lips, she called out, "The rules are simple. We are both only allowed two Pokemon. Once both Pokemon faint, the match is over. I'll let you choose if you want this to be a single or double battle."

Belle fingered her Poke balls nervously. Now that she was here, she felt less confident and thoughts of her friends were beginning to burden her with worry again. Noticing her hesitation, Lenora frowned, "Would you rather I picked?"

Belle nodded absentmindedly, inducing a sigh from Lenora. The Gym Leader was determined to get the girl's mind off of lingering worry and negativity. She boomed, "Alright, in that case, this will be one a single battle!"

She removed a Poke ball from her belt and tossed it out. A flash of light materialized into a dog-like Pokemon. Beige and brown fur matted its face, creating an amusing moustache. Its short, furry legs were nearly covered by a mop of iris-colored fur over the rest of its body.

"This is my trusty Herdier. Never could I find a Pokemon more loyal than this one." Lenora smiled at Belle, whose expression slightly perked at the sight of the Pokemon. When she did nothing, Lenora coughed, "Have you decided which Pokemon to battle with yet?"

Jumping, Belle gasped, "Oh right! Sorry!" She frowned slightly, thoughts lingering on her friends again. She looked at her Pokemon, trying to decide who could fight. Finally, she tossed out a Pokemon, revealing her Munna. Immediately, she thought of Touya and his Musharna, but Belle made a slight effort to focus on the battle.

"I'll let you have the first move." Lenora smiled at Belle, who nodded slowly.

"Uh…" Suddenly, Belle realized that she didn't know which moves Munna knew. However, a memory occurred to her and she excitedly dug in her bag, looking for her Pokedex. Lenora waited patiently as Belle withdrew the green-colored device and turned it on. She pointed the Pokedex at Munna, reading the words that came to the screen. "Umm…Helen?" She looked up at the hovering Pokemon. "Use Psybeam?"

Lenora cocked an eyebrow. Belle seemed confused as to which moves her own Pokemon even had. Was this Pokemon new to her?

As Munna opened her mouth to release a beam of Psychic energy, Lenora calmly ordered, "Herdier, dodge and Bite."

Despite its stubby legs, Herdier leapt gracefully out of the beam's trajectory and dashed rapidly towards Munna. With a mighty leap, it shot up at the Psychic Pokemon, enclosing its strong jaws. The Bite drew blood from the shrieking Munna and Belle's heart seized in fright. Without a second thought, she pulled out her Poke ball, promptly returning her Pokemon.

She made no move to release another Pokemon. Instead, she dropped her Poke balls back into her bag, head hung low. Lenora felt slightly guilty and opened her mouth to speak. However, Belle spoke first. "I'm sorry, Miss Lenora…but I have to forfeit. I can't battle right now." Her voice trembled slightly, but she looked up nonetheless. Fresh tears were coming to her eyes, and her mouth was pulled into a melancholy smile.

Lenora simply nodded, walking back over to Belle. She gave her Herdier a pet on the head before returning him. "I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry, baby girl." Without warning, she pulled Belle into a huge bear hug, surprising the crying girl. "I guess battling isn't a good way to get your mind off your friends. I can see you care a lot of them, so maybe worrying about them is the best for you." She released Belle, smiling. "Let's go back outside. Maybe they have returned already."

With a nod, Belle allowed Lenora to lead her back out to the museum. Lenora frowned to herself. The girl had not exhibited even an ounce of fighting spirit; was she simply too distracted by the absence of her friends or was she not suited for battling? Lenora pondered her questions until she was back in the library. As soon as she opened the library door, however, she jumped to find someone about to enter.

"Burgh!" Lenora gasped, teal eyes widening. "You're back!" Her eyebrows pulled into a disapproving glare. "I told you to bring the kids back! How could that possibly have taken five hours? I bet you took them to the forest didn't you? Why, you better have brought the other kid back and alive at that!" She huffed, chiding the other Gym Leader.

Burgh pursed his lips, sighing, "Gosh Lenora. I did bring them all back, 'alive at that.'" He said the last part in a slightly mocking tone before becoming serious again. "Unfortunately…" He turned to Belle, an apologetic look in his eye. "I had to admit them all into the hospital."

* * *

Cheren sat in the emergency room, waiting anxiously for news about his friend. He fidgeted with the bandages around his fingers, glancing at Touya from the side of his eye. Touya had chosen to sit several seats away from Cheren, fuming in his stoic silence. The doctors had determined that he did not have a concussion and his mind had relatively cleared since they had returned to Nacrene. His emotionless mask had resettled on his face, but it was blatantly obvious that a dark thundercloud was hanging over the teen's head.

Cheren could not help but feel guilty and responsible for Touko's condition. If he had been more watchful of the girl, she would not have been poisoned. _And now Touya is furious with me…again…_ Cheren grimaced, staring at the emergency room door again. It had been almost an hour and there was still no news about Touko.

Absently, his mind wandered to the two grunts that they had left in the forest. Burgh claimed that he had alerted nearby Forest Rangers about them, as he had found the unconscious Plasma woman near the clearing where Cheren was fighting.

His teeth grinded at the mere thought of the criminals. Cheren could never forgive them. Their journey so far had been a disaster because of the horrid Team Plasma renegades.

The entrance door slid open and Cheren heard running steps. The steps stopped abruptly, immediately followed by a crashing sound. The boy whipped his head around to find that Belle had knocked over a small table in the room. Her face was flushed and tearstained when she caught sight of Cheren. Striding over, she blurted, "Cheren! Where are Touko and Touya?"

At the moment, she noticed Touya and began looking around for Touko. When she did not see her wavy-haired friend, she asked, "Cheren…?"

Leaning back in his chair, Cheren groaned, covering his face with both hands. "She was poisoned. The doctors are trying to treat her, but…" He gritted his teeth. "I…"

Belle gasped, her body going numb. "H-how?" She blurted.

Cheren sighed, pulling his hands away from his face, glasses askew. "A Scolipede attacked her and she took a dose of the poison from its claws." Cheren's stomach churned when he realized that the Scolipede was still in his possession. He had no idea what to do with the creature, but it could wait until after he heard from Touko.

No words came to her as she found her way to a chair, collapsing into it. She covered her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut. _How did this all happen? We were supposed to be on the adventure of our lives, but it seems like we just keep getting into trouble over and over again. Why? Why?_ In a trembling voice, she stuttered, "But…this is T-Touko. She w-will be fine!" She laughed humorously, "Right?"

No one spoke after her comment. Burgh and Lenora had entered after Belle, mutely watching the teens. They took seats next to them, waiting for the doctor's news. Seconds ticked by, each passing minute filling each person with more apprehension. They had lost track of time when a nurse finally appeared from the door. She made her way over to Burgh, addressing him softly. At the sound of his name, he looked up, eyes demanding the results.

"We managed to stabilize Touko Clearwater. There does not seem to be any significance damage to her health from the poison. However, her muscles are quite weak at the moment, but she should be fine in a few days. I think the antidote you had injected made all the difference in her recovery. We have you to thank for that." After a pause, she continued, "You can all see her in the morning. Right now, it is best that she has no visitors. We will alert you about any changes in her condition. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"Thank you so much, nurse," Burgh sighed in relief. He stood up, addressing the teenagers. "Well, how about we go get your guys a place to stay for the night? I'll pay for your accommodations and dinner, as an apology for everything that has transpired." He smiled apologetically again, "I'm glad to hear that the little lady is alright though. That is a burden off everyone's shoulders right?" He offered the light joke, but everyone still seemed weary.

Cheren and Belle stood up as well, ready to leave after hearing the good news about Touko's condition. A smile of relief washed over Belle's face, and she mumbled, "Thank goodness! Oh Touko…"

Cheren walked over to Touya, "Hey, let's go. We'll come visit Touko first thing in the morning, ok?" He offered a hand to the male twin, adjusting his glasses with the other.

Touya raised his head to look at his friend. Their eyes locked and for a moment, Cheren thought he saw a hint of anger flash across Touya's chocolate eyes.

However, Touya shrugged. "Alright." He stood up from his chair, not taking the hand offered to him. He lightly brushed past Cheren and Belle, making his way to the sliding door. The raven-haired boy watched his friend leave, closely followed by a concerned Belle.

Biting his lip, Cheren walked after them. Surely it was just his imagination, but he could not shake off the image of that split-second, hate-filled glare.

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh. Touya seems to be showing a lot of emotion lately: and for all the wrong reasons. **

**You guys might be shocked by Cheren's attack. But if you were in his situation, and had the skills and guts he did, would you have choked that grunt? I feel like he would, or at least I way I tweaked him to be. I see Cheren as a calm, power-driven individual who will sacrifice a whole lot to help his loved ones. Besides, from my Jujitsu lessons, I learned how to do this choke. It's the most effective way to choke a person without killing them. If you cut off the blood flow of the carotid artery that runs up the neck, the brain cannot get the oxygen in the blood. If the brain is oxygen-deprived for about 8 seconds, the person falls unconscious. Hold it for more than 20 seconds, however, and the choke becomes deadly. Cheren probably let go around 10 seconds, just saying. **

**Also, I provided small descriptions of what Seth and Sandra look like. Just your average, run-of-the-mill, ginger-haired Team Plasma grunts. Notice how the grunts in Team Plasma are gingers? Coincidence?**

**Probably.**

**I know this chapter was short, but like I said, I'm losing my muse to fucking Maplestory. Damnit. Next chapter will be the Gym Battle, but honestly, I really don't enjoy writing the battles at the moment. They're too...lame and weak and stuff. I'm looking forward to the battles later on, I guess, since I'll have more options, flashier moves to work with, and all that great stuff. **

**I'm going to watch the last Harry Potter movie tomorrow! By god, I'm excited! I mean, I wasn't so ecstatic about it until just today, and now I can't wait. XD**

**Uh I don't know when the next update will come. Hopefully before July ends...**

**Until then,**

**~Alexie**


	14. Ch 13: Hidden Meanings

_**Thanks for the reviews! Please keep them coming, I really do appreciate all the feedback. Review please, and I love you all! **_

* * *

_Chapter 13: Hidden Meanings_

* * *

_October 1, 2010_

When the teens visited Touko the next morning, they were hoping to at least find that their friend had awakened. What they did see was far from expected, but in reality, they should not have been as surprised at all.

"I feel so much better. Come on, can't I go yet?" A whining voice could be heard through the hospital door.

"No Miss Clearwater! You might feel fine now, but the poison still has made you incredibly weak! You must stay still or you will agitate your IV!" cried a woman's voice, no doubt the nurse's.

The teens walked into the hospital room, mouths dropping open when they saw a nurse practically wrestling a squirming Touko to stay in her bed.

"Touko, stop that!" Cheren suddenly ordered, trying to compose the situation.

The nurse and girl stopped fighting, both gazing at the newcomers. A bright grin spread across Touko's face as she chirped, "Hi Cheren! Hi Belle! Hi Touya!" As if she did not do anything wrong, she waved her fingers in greeting, her wrist locked tightly in the nurse's grip.

"For Arceus's sake Touko, why must you fight with a nurse?" Cheren continued, sighing heavily. "You seem well enough, judging by your little battle just now, but honestly, just rest. It'll be worth it if you're completely well again. What will we do if you suddenly collapse while we're out in the wild?"

Eyeing her warily, the nurse released Touko when she felt the girl's muscles go limp with resignation. Touko pouted, crossing her arms, "Well yeah, but my body feels fi-"

"Just listen to the nurse, Touko," Touya suddenly interjected. Aquamarine eyes met cocoa ones for a brief, silent exchange. A small sigh broke the silence and the girl twin nodded slightly. "Fine."

The nurse let out a relieved breath and pouted, "Rest one more day. If the doctor deems you healthy enough, you may be released tomorrow." Readjusting her uniform, she curtly left the room, huffing slightly in exasperation.

* * *

"I'm so glad Touko is ok!" Belle chirped, the bounce in her step returning. She danced along the bustling streets of Nacrene, heart finally at ease. Whirling on her two friends, the blonde beamed. "Since we got kicked out of the hospital for the day, what should we do? Oh, let's go shopping!" She grinned brightly, a begging look in her eyes.

Cheren adjusted his glasses, "Belle, I don't think shopping is the...ideal activity we were going for. He sighed as he watched her expression fall, but it suddenly lifted again and her eyes trained on something behind the two boys.

"Then why don't you boys come challenge my gym?" suggested a strong voice.

Belle's face pulled into a shining smile and she chirped, "Oh good morning, Miss Lenora!"

The two boys whirled on their heels to face the Gym Leader, whose cherry red lips were smiling sassily, watching for their responses. "I've got two Pokemon, so why don't I make it a double battle, mm?" she offered, hands on her hips.

Cheren cleared his throat, "That's a nice offer, but Touko-"

"Is still recovering and she would turn a duo into a trio. Who will she battle then? She'll just have her battle later when she is released. I'm sure she can team up with Belle," Lenora gestured to the blonde girl, who jumped at the suggestion. She frowned slightly in memory of her informal challenge the night before.

Touya glanced dully between his two friends before shrugging. "I'll do it."

Cheren carefully studied Touya, seeing no sign of hostility on the other boy's face. It was as if whatever he saw the night before was nothing more than a figment of his cynical imagination. Smiling, he gently slid his hands into his blazer pockets. "Then it's settled."

Beaming, "Mama" Lenora turned back around, laughing. "Follow along, my babies!" A brisk walk took the group back to the museum. The caution tape bordering the entrance had been removed, but the building had been closed to the public in order to fix damages and clean up after Team Plasma's invasion. She led them past the main vicinity, heading to the secret library she had brought Belle to the previous day.

Raising his eyebrows, Cheren appraised the archives of books that towered over him. Touya remained unfazed, gazing at the massive bookshelves with mild interest.

With a clap, Belle chirped, "Oh! I forgot, this place is a maze!" A smile spread across Lenora's face and the Leader added, "Except today, you boys will have to navigate it yourselves. Belle, you may not help them." She wagged a finger.  
The blonde pouted, but in truth, she had been horribly distracted by the events of that day, so any memory of the maze was foggy in her mind. As a result, she complied, playfully mimicking the action of locking her lips before throwing away the imaginary key.

Cheren adjusted his glasses to hide an eye roll, turning his attention back to the bookshelves. "So any clues to help us along?" He was still quite nonplussed about the maze. How hard could it be? It was located indoors after all, but then again, he had no way of knowing how large the room truly was.

With a short nod, the Gym Leader started into the maze. "I'll have helpers situated at certain points to help you. If you can answer their questions, they'll point you in the right direction. Good luck, sugar babies." She waved, disappearing into the forest of books.

A smiling Belle hopped behind the two boys, waiting for them to start. Cheren sighed, sauntering to the mouth of the bookshelf maze. Silently, Touya followed with Belle at his heels.

Turn after turn, the teens were met with nothing more than looming bookshelves. Cheren turned yet another corner, exasperated eyes lighting up at the sight of a scrawny boy seated on the ground, leaning against a shelf as he read a thick volume resting in his lap. He was located at an intersection, with paths branching out to the left and right. Pace quickening, the teens approached the supposed helper. Said boy looked up from his book, eyes dull, slowly brightening at the realization that visitors had come. He was quick to his feet, chirping, "Might you be challengers?"

Cheren nodded, adjusting his glasses. He was beginning to wonder if they had somehow gotten lost in the maze and out of relief, he responded, "Yes, we are. Can you help us along?"

The youth nodded, handing a small envelope to the teens. Cheren took it, eyebrows cocking, and opened it. Touya and Belle leaned over him, reading the words on scrawled on the paper.

_Ivory shield proudly adorned  
Upon their chest,  
Ready to attack,  
Or defend at their best._

"Oh oh oh, a riddle?" Belle gushed excitedly from Cheren's left.

Before she could get a word in edgewise, the helper spoke up again. "See this bookshelf behind me? Once you figure out the riddle, find a book that is related to the answer and the hint for which direction you should take is written on the inside cover."

The teens looked skeptically at the tall bookshelf and the helper quickly added, "It will be in one of the bottom five rows of the bookshelf. So um..." He rubbed his head. "Don't worry about not being able to reach it."

Nodding, Cheren turned back to the riddle, but a voice on his right hummed, "Oshawott."

"Hm?" Cheren turned is head to see Touya staring at the paper.

The quiet brunet repeated, "The answer is an Oshawott. The 'ivory shield' is the scalchop on their stomach. They can use it to attack and defend."

Of course the trainer of an Oshawott would know this. But watching Touko's battles, they should all know this by now. Cheren felt slightly irritated that Touya had figured it out before him, but he brushed it off. Jealousy was such a useless emotion, especially over such a small matter.

Belle was already looking at the books lined neatly on the shelves, chirping, "I found two books on Oshawotts!"

She was reaching for them when the helper cleared his throat. "Oh yes! You only get one chance at choosing a book. Then you cannot get the hint anymore if you are wrong."

Belle could not have retracted her hand fast enough. Cheren and Touya sidled up to Belle's side, scanning the shelves. "'Anatomy: Oshawott' and 'Oshawotts in History'?" Cheren read out the titles, pressing his lips in a line as he thought.

Without a word, Touya took out a book, leaving the history volume behind. Before Cheren could protest, he opened the cover, then closed it, replaced it on the shelf, and walked off to the left.

Eyes narrowing, Cheren followed after their silent friend, Belle tottling right behind. The boy helper watched they go, feeling the uneasy atmosphere. "Well, that's not too reassuring…" he muttered as he watched the teens leave.

Once the trio had turned another corner, Cheren cleared his throat, "You could have consulted with us first." The irritation was clear in his voice.

A moment of silence passed. Another corner was turned before Touya shrugged, responding calmly, "I was confident about it."

"But what if you were wrong? We would have had to choose a direction," Cheren immediately quipped, shoving his hands in his pockets. Belle opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.

"And I wasn't." Touya left it at that as they had run into another helper. An older girl was leaning against a bookshelf, smacking gum while she held a small book in one hand, reading it with lazy eyes. She lowered her book when she saw the new arrivals in the corner of her eye. Blinking dully, she pulled an envelope from her jacket, holding it between her index and middle fingers. She held it out to the teens with a short "Yo."

Cheren snatched the envelope, tearing it open haphazardly. Touya glanced over his shoulder, scanning over the words again.

_Look this way, look that way  
Red eyes scouting around.  
Leaving their perch, the small creatures begin  
Scurrying away, home-bound. _

There was another period of silence as neither boy could figure out the answer. Finally, two voices chimed out simultaneously, "Patrat."

Cheren stiffened slightly when he heard Touya speak in sync with him, but the twin appeared unruffled. Belle glanced between them nervously, before looking at the shelves. "There's only one book on Patrats this time..." She quietly said, taking it out and looking at it.

"Right." She directed dully, looking between her two friends. Cheren nodded, the irritation soaking into his features. Belle could have sworn she saw a ghost of a smirk on Touya's face, to which she frowned at. Perhaps it had simply been her imagination, but she was quite good at interpreting the boy's supposed poker face.

The girl helper watched the scene with mild interest, shrugging and going back to her book. "Good luck, and stuff." She drawled as the teens left.

They continued through the maze, meeting helper after helper. Touya continued to answer the questions before Cheren, causing the raven-haired boy's temper to slowly rise. He was not used to being outperformed when it came to Pokemon information or knowledge overall. Sure, he knew Touya was not stupid, but he never imagined the quiet twin to know so much about Pokemon. It irritated him, but he was careful not to show his annoyance any more than he already did. Paranoia drove him to think that Touya's actions were on purpose, although it seemed really out of character for the twin. Then again, Cheren has never made him angry, so what did he know?

Belle was sure of it now. Touya had smirked almost every time he conquered the riddles before his bespectacled friend had. After passing on from another helper, Cheren had gone on ahead, his steps heavy but fast. Belle took the small chance to grab Touya's arm, catching his attention. "Hey hey, are you ok?" she asked, worried green eyes peering into his strangely cold brown eyes.

There was a foreign spark in his eyes and Belle did not like it. It disappeared, however, when his orbs adjusted to focus on hers and Touya shook his head, "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" His expressions softened and the girl took solace in that. Smiling, she tugged him, walking forward faster. "Then let's go! We're almost there, I think."

And right she was. Cheren had stopped at a dead end, perplexed. They had gone in the right direction, so why had they reached an end to the path? His eyes caught something white sticking out from one of the books and he reached for the thick volume, pulling out the strip of paper enclosed in it. On it, four simple words were neatly printed.

_Look inside the shelf. _

Furrowing his eyebrows, Cheren bent down slightly to peer into the slot that had been vacated, blinking in surprise when he saw a round green button inside. Reaching in, he pushed it, retracting his hand as the bookshelf rumbled, swinging back to review the hidden passageway again.

Touya's eyes widened, and he muttered, "Cool…" Belle simply giggled, remembering her own impressed shock at the concealed door.

Recomposing himself, Cheren set the book back in the slot, walking into the tunnel. "Congratulations! You found the path to Lenora," Belle sang, her joyful voice echoing through the hall. Soon, the trio stood at the magnificent battlefield again, Lenora already in place on her side.

"Welcome to Nacrene City Gym! You both reached here quite fast. I commend you for that." Lenora stood, poised with her hands on her hips, a sassy smile pulling at her lips. "Now then, sugars." She popped two Poke balls from her belt, smiling. "Shall we get started?"

"She certainly wastes no time, hm?" Cheren muttered, walking over to the challenger's side. Touya followed, nodding in agreement. Any of the hidden rivalry seemed to be gone once again and Belle smiled as she sat down, ready to cheer her friends on.

With flicks of her wrists, Lenora expertly released her Pokemon, smirking slightly when her Herdier and Watchog materialized, crying out simultaneously. "Let's see if you two have the basics and motivation to beat me, hm?" she sang, returning her hands to her waist. "I'll allow you both two Pokemon each. Only one Pokemon from each Trainer may be out at a time. If both of your Pokemon are rendered unable to battle, then that Trainer is forfeit. If both my Pokemon are defeated, any Trainer with Pokemon left will win. Clear?"

"And referees?" Cheren asked, raising his eyebrows.

Lenora simply waved it off, grinning, "I think we can tell when our own Pokemon are at their limits. I just want to watch you boys battle without some silly old referee watching us like Mandibuzzes. Let's just start, alright?"

The two boys nodded, exchanging glances, acknowledging their friend as their partner. Cheren searched Touya's eyes for that hostility he saw earlier, but found none this time around. Pushing such thoughts aside, Cheren opted for his Pokedex, pulling the device out and pointing it to the Gym Pokemon before him.

Touya peered over his shoulder, scanning the information as it appeared. Nodding, the male twin pulled out a Poke ball, releasing the Pokemon within. A shower of electricity carpeted the ground and the giant Oz appeared, shaking the static from his fur black and white fur. Sensing the atmosphere, he snapped to attention, ready for a battle.

Cheren made his pick, his Purrloin emerging from her Poke ball. The malicious feline mewed, arching her back lazily, eyes sizing up her opponents. The boy looked expectantly at the Gym Leader, but from her stance, it was clear she had no intention of making the first move.

Therefore, Touya was happy to oblige. "Charge up, Oz." With a snort, electricity began to crackle around the Blitzle, concentrating over his form.

Lenora's smile quirked. "Interesting…" she murmured.

Cheren gazed thoughtfully at Touya. If his Pokemon was going on standby, then Cheren will start with an attack. "Fury Swipes to the Herdier!" he ordered. Marie blinked, before bounding forward gracefully, claws extended. The Gym Pokemon gazed at the Purrloin with disinterest, listening for Lenora's order.

Nodding, the Leader called, "Herdier, Bite! Watchog, Hypnosis!"

The boys' eyes narrowed, for they both knew what Hypnosis did. Cheren watched as Marie made two swipes with her claws, opening wounds on the Herdier's neck. But as the third swipe went for the Pokemon's head, the Herdier lashed out, biting down on the Purrloin's leg. The feline yelped in pain, the Herdier's canines sinking into her vulnerable limb.

A wave of Hypnosis had just released from the Watchog when Touya called urgently, "Oz, quickly, Thunderwave!" Neighing, the Blitzle shot out a wave of paralyzing energy, counterattacking against the Hypnosis. The two waves disappeared, having canceled the other out. However, Oz's retaliation came too late as Marie had already fallen slack in Herdier's jaws, asleep.

Without prompting, the Herdier spun in a circle, releasing the Purrloin when it had enough momentum, sending the sleeping Pokemon careening into the Blitzle. The force of the Purrloin colliding into Oz sent them sprawling to the ground, with the latter whinnying in surprise. Lenora watched the boys carefully, scrutinizing their expressions.

Cheren had his lips set in a tight line, his mind racing. While Purrloin was not out yet, she certainly could not fight in her current condition. He needed time until his Purrloin awoke. "Touya…"

"I know," the twin answered, nodding in reassurance. "Thunder Wave again!"

Oz answered the call, immediately standing in front of Purrloin protectively, releasing another Thunderwave at his opponents. Again, the two Gym Pokemon seemed to know exactly what to do and dodged the wave adroitly. Without wasting a beat, Lenora called, "Take Down, Crunch!"

With the skill of years of practice, the Herdier and Watchog heeded her commands perfectly, flawlessly executing their moves. The Watchog struck first, closing their fangs on Oz's head. The Blitzle reeled back in pain, distracted as the Herdier slammed into his legs, toppling Oz over.

Touya gritted his teeth as Oz landed with a loud thud, willing his Pokemon to get back on his feet. His heart leapt when his Blitzle seemed to heed his mental command, thrusting his tired body back up onto shaking legs. He poised himself back in front of Purrloin just as the feline began to stir.

Cheren sighed in relief, his voice almost a pant. "Touya, you Blitzle was great. Thanks Oz!" He called out the last compliment to the Blitzle, hearing a proud snort in response.

Shaking sleep from her head, the Purrloin opened her eyes, hissing when she saw her opponents, quite unharmed, a distance away. She was awake and bloodthirsty with vengeance.

As if feeling her emotions, Cheren gritted, "Pursuit in quick succession. I want to land some hits on them this time." With that, the feline was off, a heavy purple aura cloaking around her fur. Her paws scratched across the sandy ground as she swiftly shot towards the Herdier, eyes narrowed in concentration. Just as she was about to hit, however, she veered off to the right, catching the ready Herdier off guard. Instead, she slammed into the Watchog, immediately rolling off to the side, snickering wickedly.

Eyebrows raised in surprised, Lenora gazed at the giddy Purrloin. "My my, feisty little kitty you got there, sugar." Marie was already off, skipping around between the Pokemon, looking for another chance to attack. The Herdier and Watchog tried to hit the evasive feline but she continued to dodge, volleying back Pursuits of her own. The trio of Pokemon danced, trying to land attacks on the others.

Blinking, Cheren smiled slightly as an idea came to his head. "Touya, do you know what the ability Limber does?"

In the corner of his eye, the raven-haired boy caught the brunet's head shake and continued, almost smugly, "It prevents paralysis. My Purrloin possesses this ability. Any chance Oz can try paralyzing the enemy again? Even with Purrloin in the way, nothing will happen to her."

Gears began to grind in Touya's head as he nodded calmly, calling, "Oz, start charging forward. Get as close as you can before the next order!"

Oz obliged, finding the strength to dash forward confidently. Suspicious, Lenora's voice rang out, "Nu uh, Herdier, don't give him the chance! Take Down again!"

Slipping past the Purrloin expertly, the Herdier charged viciously for Oz again, its long fur slicking back from the speed. Marie hissed, turning to go after the escaped opponent. Almost immediately, the well-trained Watchog spotted the opportunity to attack and his jaws widened, a Crunch building up.

Cheren cursed, his command coming too late. The jaws clamped down harshly on Marie's back, lacerations ripping across the purple fur. Blood spilled from the wounds and she screeched in pain, falling into a limp slump on the ground.

Cheren scrambled for his Poke ball to recall his incapacitated Purrloin. Disappointment flashed across his face. His Purrloin's devilish tendencies had caused her to lose and his plan had been thwarted by his own Pokemon. _She needs more power…and better control of the abilities she already possesses, _he thought angrily, but began to consider his next choice of Pokemon. Now was not to time to dwell on defeats.

Touya wasted no time in saving his Blitzle. "Shockwave, Oz!" The Blitzle did not slow his charge but huge streams of electricity erupted from his form, thunderously hurdling towards the oncoming Herdier. Unable to slow its charge in time, the Herdier took the Shockwave head on, flying back from the impact. It landed in a heap but got straight back onto his feet, shaking a little from the attack. Parts where the Shockwave had hit directly were singed, with the flesh underneath raw.

A Poke ball snapped as Cheren called out another Pokemon. A peal of coos sounded from the released Pidove. "Henry, Air Cutter!"

Two chirps affirmed his acknowledgment as the Pidove spread out his feathery wings, whipping out two vicious scythe-like blades of air. He flew down near the ground, watching as his attacks did their work. The Watchog deftly dodged but the injured Herdier could not move in time. It took the Air Cutter head on, whimpering when it hit. It was slower getting back on its feet this time around. Realizing her Pokemon's predicament, Lenora gritted her teeth, "Watchog, watch over darling Herdier!"

"Hmph," Touya huffed. "Oz get close with Quick Attack, then one more Shockwave!"

Breaking off into a speedy run, Oz swerved to confuse the Gym Pokemon, missing when his Quick Attack struck, however. Still, he immediately revved up his Shockwave, although, without the Charge up this time, the attack did not swell as dramatically. Nonetheless, the electricity found its target, the unfortunate Herdier, striking his head.

With a final cry, the canine collapsed, the fur on his forehead singed. A small trail of blood dribbled from a wound, matting the fur as it ran down along its face. Lenora smiled sadly, recalling her Herdier with kind praises. Suddenly, she snapped back to attention, eyes betraying a short, dangerous flash of vengeance.

"Watchog," came her single command and the Pokemon took off, glowing a vicious red. To both boy's surprise, it did not target Oz, but instead, barreled towards…

"Henry! Get out of there!" Cheren's frantic cry echoed. He knew his Flying Pokemon did not have the best defense and he had a feeling that Pidove would not take the blow kindly.

However, Oz had realized immediately that Watchog's intended target was not himself and was already galloping towards the pair. In a desperate move, the Blitzle threw himself in between the two Pokemon, taking the massive blunt of the attack.

Oz cried out in agony as Watchog's body slammed into him and a sickening crack could be heard from the Blitzle. He crumpled to the ground, twitching his legs and a gasp sounded from Belle at the sidelines. It was clear he could no longer get back onto his feet, as every feeble attempt was horribly unsuccessful.

Face paling, Touya recalled his Blitzle, idling wondering what that snapping sound he heard earlier was.

Lenora's teal eyes were hard, a slightly apologetic undertone to her gaze. The Retaliate had been stronger than she had anticipated. Her Herdier must have taken a stronger hit than she had imagined. Granted, the damage might have been worse if it had hit the Pidove, but Oz was already at his last bit of strength when he took the attack.

Sympathetic, Cheren turned to offer Touya a small smile. Lenora was a tactical genius; instead of wasting a powerful move on an already weakened opponent, she opted to take out a healthy opponent while her Pokemon was still strong, so that there would be two weakened Pokemon to take down, rather than one strong Pokemon. It was also an unnerving move that most trainers would not expect.

However, his lips stopped turning up when he saw Touya's expression, or rather, lack thereof. All emotion was gone from his face again, but his eyes were flooded with a myriad of emotions.

Without a wasted movement, Touya deftly pulled out his next Poke ball and Zula materialized from the bright light. The Oshawott stood poised and ready, sensing her Trainer's emotions.

Lenora seemed to have noticed as well, eyes narrowing slightly. Keeping her distance, she called out, "Leer!"

Watchog turned its searing glare at both Pokemon, but Zula did not falter. She seemed as hard-cored as her Trainer at the moment. "Zula, Water Gun."

Backing him up, Cheren directed, "Air Cutter again."

A torrent of water and blades of air zoomed straight at the Watchog, but again, it dodged, now dashing towards the two Pokemon who had launched attacks. Lenora's command flew from her lips. "Crunch, my baby!"

The Watchog knew who the easier target was this time; aiming for a Pokemon stationed on the ground was far easier than one that is airborne. Swiftly marking its prey, the Watchog veered towards the Oshawott with sharp, blood-stained teeth gritted for another attack.

Behind the lines, Cheren was firing off commands for Henry to attack the Watchog, anything to prevent the stronger Pokemon from getting too close. Touya had only called for Zula to Focus her energy and had done nothing else.

Watchog went in for the kill. It had dodged every Air Cutter or Quick Attack that Henry had shot and now Zula was within his reach, vulnerable and unmoving. Its jaws opened wider, ready to mercilessly clamp down on the weaker Pokemon. Zula took a small step back, eyes hardening with resolve.

Its teeth never met their target.

Something shining had stopped the bloodthirsty teeth in their tracks, creating a barrier between the Watchog and Zula. Cheren's eyes widened in shock, and even Touya seemed stunned by the outcome. Lenora's eyes lit up and she breathed, "My my, isn't this a surprise."

Zula growled, trying to keep her balance while wielding the shining blade that had sprung forth from her scalchop. With a mighty heave, she shoved the Watchog back, following up with a slash. Her focused energy brought more force to her attack, causing the stunned Watchog to screech. A wound opened across the Gym Pokemon's chest, blood dripping through its fur.

Taking the opportunity, Cheren signaled Henry, who began to fly in sharp circles. The dust stirred as a gust of wind whipped up underneath the Flying-type. Before the Watchog recovered, Pidove launched the Gust at his wounded opponent, the attack sending the enemy flying backwards.

Gritting her teeth, Lenora called out, "Baby, are you alright? Hypnosis!"

"Pidove, fly down to Zula!" Cheren commanded and Touya immediately understood.

"Zula, grab onto Henry when he gets near!"

The two Pokemon cried in acknowledgement, not missing a beat when they were close to each other. Zula's little paw grasped onto one of Henry's legs and the Flying-type shot high up into the air to avoid the impending Hypnosis, soaring out of range of the curse just in time. From the corners of their eyes, Touya and Cheren traded a single glance, immediately understanding the next move.

"Pidove, dive for the Watchog-"

"-and Zula, ready with your Shell Blade!"

Watchog was glowing red again in response to its Trainer's call, ready to use Retaliate again. Zula shot out her Shell Blade again, ready to swing her weapon at the right moment. The enemy shot up, ready to pound into the swiftly descending duo. Right before the moment of impact, Pidove swerved, letting the air currents in the drafted basement field spin him around and in the split-second dodge, Zula stabbed her shell blade directly into the elongated abdomen of the Watchog.

With a final screech, the Gym Pokemon crashed to the floor. Zula lost her grip on her ride, falling to the ground with an alarmed squeak. Her shell blade retracted before she could roll over it and she tumbled across the dirt from her rough landing. Pidove fluttered down next to her, cooing apologetically. Shaken, but mostly unhurt, Zula got back to her feet, gazing at her defeated enemy.

Watchog was bleeding from several wounds along its torso but Lenora did not seem particularly alarmed by its lacerations. She returned her second Pokemon, offering last compliments to her resilient fighter.

Realizing the battle was officially over, Zula and Henry bounded back over to their Trainers, looking very pleased with themselves. Though they were tired, their faces sparkled with joy and accomplishment. Cheren gave his Pidove the praise he deserved before returning him for a pleasant rest.

However, Touya was giving his own Pokemon a nonplussed gaze, earning him a pout from the Oshawott, who had expected some form of praise. A strong voice broke him out of his thoughts, "You're wondering why your little Oshawott was able to use Shell Blade without evolving?" It was a statement of fact, not a question.

Warm chocolate eyes raised to meet teal, knowing orbs. Lenora smiled sagely, "Sometimes, some Pokemon just develop a little faster than others. Researchers like myself have seen many of these cases throughout history, although we still do not know why it happens. Just know you and your Pokemon are both very blessed to have each other. It is nothing to worry about. Just embrace it!" She reached down, ruffling the fur on Zula's head, earning a giggle from the little Oshawott. "You are quite a powerful little Pokemon, aren't you, sugar?"

Zula chittered happily, gazing back up at her trainer. Touya gave her his ambiguous smile, but there was certain spark to it. "Good job, Zula. I'm proud," he said, finding truth in his words.

Belle grinned from the sidelines, tottling over. She had worried that Touya and Cheren would not function as a unit, but watching their teamwork improve as the battle wore on brought warmth to her heart.

"You were all amazing! But…" the girl frowned, "We should get the Pokemon to the Pokemon center soon, shouldn't we?" Worry danced through her emerald eyes and Cheren nodded, adjusting his glasses.

"Hold on, sugars. Don't you want your prizes?" Lenora interrupted, holding up two purple rectangles, framed in gold. Two individual squares were framed off near the top, with another square at the bottom. "These are your Basic Badges. Take them, for you have earned them well. I can see you both are motivated, talented young trainers. Keep going, babies! Oh, and here's a little pocket money for you as well!" Lenora, handed them two sacks of cash, winking. "Now let's run along! My poor Herdier and Watchog need some pampering."

* * *

"Oh man, you guys didn't tell me she was THAT hard to beat!" Touko whined, watching her new Basic Badge glitter in the afternoon sun. It had been the second day of her discharge; she had spent the first preparing for her gym battle. After hearing all about the boys' double battle, she was eager to challenge Lenora and was quite disappointed when Belle declined to partner with her. The Gym Leader had given her a tough time but Touko was resilient, keeping her winning streak alive.

It took a few days for everyone's Pokemon to heal. Purrloin had small wounds from the repeated Bites and Crunches. Blitzle's injuries were more serious; his leg bones were bruised from the Take Down and some of his ribs were cracked. However, even those injuries were taken care of within days and Touya was relieved that his surprisingly jolly Oz was alright.

After replenishing supplies, the teens left the town, heading back into Pinwheel Forest. Despite the less-than-pleasant memories of the forest, Touko was chatting animatedly with Cheren about their battles, gasping excitedly whenever the boy offered her new knowledge about Pokemon. Belle walked contentedly next to Touya, watching her friends' backs. She glanced to her side, following Touya's gaze to his twin.

"You love your sister a lot, don't ya Touya?" Belle chirped, feeling Touya stiffen slightly at her side. "You know, Cheren tried his best to keep her safe. Touko's just a free spirit. Sometimes she does things to worry us all, but she always ends up doing just fine in the end. I don't want to see friends fight again. Please don't be mad at him." She turned to gaze at Touya. "You should express yourself more! Not everyone can read you like me and Touko can. Show others when you're happy too, not just when you're sad or angry." She smiled brightly.

Touya blinked in surprise at her words, his gaze flickering to his companions ahead. He knew his behavior the other day was a bit uncalled for. Silently, he nodded, turning his head to Belle. "Thanks." He smiled a bit.

The blonde beamed, fluttering, "Oh of course! You're we-" With her sight distracted, she did not notice a tree root in her path and had tripped over the offending obstacle. However, before she could smack painfully into the ground, gentle hands caught her, steadying her balance. Concern and amusement mixed in Touya's voice as he asked, "You alright?"

Belle looked up, seeing the unusual mix of emotion in Touya's smiling face. His mask was broken at that moment, but before he could retreat back, Belle beamed, "Keep smiling, and I will be!"

* * *

**A/N: Ugh, that chapter was a little short. My muse is really dying off. Anyways, I threw in some antagonistic moments and RebelShipping fluff. I hope the battle was exciting to read! I was stuck on it for a while, but I managed to finish it…somehow…**

**Remember, next chapter may a while off…until then, please bear with me! I appreciate your patience and continued support. Your lovely reviews give me the spark I need to keep writing, truly! So please, review!**

**Cheers!**

**~Alexie**


	15. Ch 14: First Time in the City

**A/N:** **Wow guys, thanks so much for over 100 reviews! I didn't get very many last chapter, and probably for good reason. But really, it's quite an honor that enough of you like my story enough to review like this.**

**I reread my old chapters, and oh boy, my grammar…my syntax…**

**Ick.**

**I noticed some nasty story holes and mistakes, so I took the liberty of going back to fix them. I also caught some things that I completely forgot about, like some aspects of personality and relationships, so I shall be more mindful of them. **

**Thank you for the reviews! Really. They inspire me to keep writing, although I must admit, the reviews that tell me to update just makes me want to beat myself up. Which I'm trying really hard not to do…so if you do review, please refrain from bashing my lack of updates too much? Thanks guys. **

* * *

_Chapter 14: First Time in the City_

* * *

_October 13, 2010_

The waves of the bay rolled gently, sunset rays breaking free of the evening fog to dust the watery surface, creating a rippling sea of fiery gems. The wind wisped about, its chilliness overpowered by the warmth of the setting sun. Low-hanging clouds shrouded the city of Castelia in a mystical veil, but the twinkling lights of the magnificent skyscrapers still shone through. However, the overwhelming presence of Skyarrow Bridge stole the attention of all eyes and those of the quartet of teenagers were no exception.

Responding to an impatient tug on her sleeve, Belle finally found the ability to move her feet again. Touko's whining voice broke through her possessed thoughts. "Come on Belle! Wouldn't you rather be on the bridge? Quit gawking and let's goooooo!" Another impatient tug nearly caused the blonde to trip, but she hurried behind her ecstatic friend after a short stumble.

The boys followed after their feminine companions, exhausted from another day of travel. Castelia was a good two weeks travel from Nacrene on foot, but luckily, the teens were able to get through Pinwheel Forest in a day. That place held unpleasant memories for Cheren and the twins and it did not help that Belle practically tripped over everything in her path. Now they were so close to the biggest city in Unova, if the magnificent bridge was any indication.

With a skip, Touko entered the gateway to the bridge, a small office next to the car lanes. All pedestrians and bicyclists had to pass through the office in order to enter the bridge since a toll was exacted on all travelers. Cheren had warned Touko ahead of time, knowing all too well that the girl would just charge through the gatehouse without paying. So he had anticipated her reaction when she saw the line at the toll booth.

"Aw man, there's a long line!" she complained loudly, drawing the attention of several travelers.

Adjusting his glasses, Cheren quietly chided, "It will move fast enough. Be patient." He was running low on patience himself as he was stuck carrying the tent. Touya's Zula had evolved on the way, which did not help the simmering irritation he felt towards his companion. Still, Eliza had evolved as well, but seemed to gain an arrogant air about her. Or perhaps she had always had a superiority complex, but it was only exemplified by her evolution. It seemed like everything had to have a downside to it.

Belle was not quite concerned with such thoughts. Even though her Porky was the only starter yet to evolve, the girl loved using each of her Pokemon and did not mind their slow growth. In reality, she was far more preoccupied by other concerns, which were exacerbated by Touko's impatient pacing.

"This bridge…it's really high up isn't it?" Belle asked, glancing out the window, seeing a perfect view of the architectural phenomenon. Her eyes flickered to the water lapping against the support pillars, but quickly focused back on the illuminated bridge.

Touko stopped her pacing and glanced out of the window. She hopped over to her friend, taking her hands in her own. "Don't worry Belle! You won't fall in! There will be rails keeping you safe. I won't let anything happen to you again. Promise!" Her aquamarines shined so resolutely that Belle could only nod.

The blonde's eyes flickered back to the water before they shifted to look at the line in front of her. Because of her short height, everyone else towered over her and she stood on the tips of her toes, hoping to see how long the line stretched.

Touya blinked, watching Belle's movements with interest. Seeing her current challenge, he chuckled, his small poker smile spreading across his lips again. Innocently, he grabbed Belle by her waist, exciting a surprised squeal from the girl, and with a mighty heave, he lifted the tiny girl up.

Touko chortled while understanding flickered in Cheren's eyes. Belle's earlier thoughts were completely swept from her mind by Touya's actions and she squeaked, "Touya, put me down!"

Shrugging, the male twin set the girl back down, amused that her cheeks were flushed with a rosy pink. "Why would you do that?" she asked. There was no accusation in her voice, only innocent surprise.

With a chuckle, the boy replied, "You wanted to see over peoples' heads. Were you able to?"

Belle paused thoughtfully. "Yeah…the line is really long…" She admitted, readjusting her beret with a small smile.

Off on the side, Touko unleashed another loud and irritated groan.

* * *

"Dear Arceus, can you please slow down Touko?" Cheren yelled when the overexcited teen ran ahead again.

"You guys are so slow! Come on, how can you all limp along like a trio of Slakoths when you have all this-" Touko spread her arms out. "-To venture out to and admire?"

"Excuse me for having to lug around our tent," the raven-haired boy retorted. Touko narrowed her eyes, running back and grabbing the tent from his hands. Cheren gripped tightly, refusing to relinquish the grip.

Touko pouted, "If you're going to complain, then I'll carry it! Come on, let's just go faster!" She pleaded with a whine.

Rolling his eyes, Cheren yanked again, forcing Touko to let go. "You can hardly admire things going at the pace you are. We're all tired Touko. Give us break, please?"

Indignantly, the twin grumbled, "Fine, fine, whatever…" She turned around to resume walking at a slower pace. Behind her, Cheren sighed, both in exasperation and relief and followed after the girl.

Touya hung back with Belle, who was walking slowly. She seemed more alert than usual, taking cautious steps even though the wide pedestrian path was nearly flawless and smooth. He did not speak, only hovering between her and the edge of the bridge, ensuring that she was safe no matter what.

After half an hour, the quartet stepped off the bridge, entering another gatehouse. Once they got through, the city welcomed them, the night filled with vibrant lights. Tops of towering buildings disappeared through the clouds collected in the sky, but their bases shone vividly with neon signs and flashing lights. Somewhere in the distance, a dancer spun, performing complex moves to a pounding beat. People strolled through the parks in copious amounts, as if it were merely daytime. With the streetlamps shining as brightly as they did, it could have been day. Drinking in the scenario with thirsty eyes, the teens wandered through the park, passing by several piers.

"Wow…" Belle could only breathe, the lights reflecting complementarily in her blue eyes. They had strolled away from the quiet harbors and into the start of the busy downtown, which bustled with streams of office workers heading home and night-time partiers heading out. They found the Pokemon Center easily, but the city was only just coming alive for the night, and this did not get past the girls.

Of course, this did not get past the boys either.

"Hey Belle let's go shopping!" and "Oh no, you two are not going shopping!" came Touko and Cheren's simultaneous outbursts. Both stiffened and glared at the other, with the former stating her rebuttal first.

"Come on, it's not every chance we come to a big city like this!"

"Like hell we are! We're going to settle into the Pokemon Center first and get dinner. We're not going to be lugging around the Pokemon eggs around the city, are we?"

"_You_ can do that. I'm going shopping with Belle!" Touko clutched her friend's arm possessively, daring Cheren to contradict her with a sharp glare. The boy replied with his own withering gaze, since Touko's anger did not influence his decision making very much. Belle was caught between the two, but she was not going to turn down any kind of shopping offer. Ever.

Seeking support, Cheren turned to Touya, practically begging with his eyes. Feeling generous and a bit peckish himself, the male twin shuffled next to Cheren, poking the boy on his head, stating, "I'll go with Cheren. Have fun." He waved slightly, face absent of emotion.

With a triumphant fist pumps, Touko and Belle dropped their unneeded bags, handed the Pokemon eggs to the boys and ran off, giggling excitedly. Cheren swore that he felt a vein bulge in his temple and he irately swung their bags up, not caring if they clashed with anything. He mumbled obscenities to himself, to which Touya chuckled.

"Don't complain if you like my sister so much," the twin smoothly said.

Vehemently, Cheren snapped, "Yes, because I announce that you like Belle to the world as well."

Touya shrugged, walking calmly next to the uncharacteristically fuming Cheren. "Don't know what you're talking about."

With silent tension, the two boys walked into the brightly illuminated Pokemon Center behind them.

* * *

"Definitely moving to Castelia when I become rich and famous." Touko nodded, exiting the shopping complex with a full bag of her spoils. Beside her, Belle nodded enthusiastically, sporting her own bag of purchases, "I'll live with you!"

"Hell yeah!" Touko held her hand up, prompting a high five from her shorter friend. "Thank god Lenora gave us too much money. That was so awesome of her!"

Belle pursed her lips slightly, knowing that she barely had any money left. Because she had not successfully won against the Nacrene Gym Leader, she did not enjoy the same monetary reward that the others did. "Mama" Lenora did give her some amount of money, claiming it was as a thank-you gift for helping with the whole museum robbery fiasco. This baffled the girl and although she refused the kind gesture, Lenora was absurdly assertive in her gift.

The sound of grumbling tummies broke through the hum of the chattering of shoppers and passersby, sending sheepish looks on both girls' faces. "Dinner sounds good about now…" Belle giggled, patting her stomach. "

"Then dinner it is!" Touko pointed a finger to the darkened sky, glancing around for a restaurant. That, in itself, was a simple task, since all manner of cafes and restaurants littered the crowded streets, but choosing one was difficult.

The two friends wandered the streets, glancing at the signs to make their pick. Belle had her head up, peering at a sign to an Italian restaurant when an alarmed cry came from in front of her.

"Watch ooooouut!" A girl's voice yelled out in warning. Moments later, something small and green collided into Belle's legs, offsetting her delicate balance. The blonde toppled over, squeaking along with the creature at her feet. Touko reached down to soften her friend's fall, making it just in time.

Pink shoes appeared in the line of Belle's vision and she followed them up to see a concerned, younger girl peering down at her. The girl reached down, pink skirt hitching up over her beige leggings. Voluminous amounts of black hair billowed out behind her, with two tuffs tied off into small pigtails with pink bows. The sleeves of her loose, beige knit fluttered as she picked up a little pudgy dragon Pokemon, scolding it quietly. Her attention snapped back to the fallen girl and a sheepish look spread across her dark-skinned complexion.

"I'm so sorry! Are you ok? My Axew never watches where he goes when he smells food." She rubbed her head nervously, offering a hand to Belle. The girl took it gratefully, quickly offering words of assurance. Belle was surprised by the strength behind the younger girl's pull, finding herself being lurched to her feet rather strongly.

"How about I make it up to you? I'll buy you two dinner!" The dark girl eagerly offered, confusing both teens.

"It was just a little accident. It's ok!" Belle babbled, brushing herself off with a sheepish smile. "There's no need to go to such lengths, Miss…uhh…"

The girl stood proudly, flashing a perfect row of teeth with a grin. "Iris. My name is Iris! And come on! I insist!" And she most certainly did. Without allowing the two to protest, Iris locked the girls' wrists in her hands with an iron grip and dragged them into a nearby Italian restaurant. It was a lavish place, where the meals were clearly served with amazing flourish and at extravagant prices. But Iris did not even blink. She had the waiter lead them to a booth and the three sat down as the waiter passed them menus.

Touko cracked open one of the menus, took one look at the prices and slammed it shut. "We can't pay for this!" she squeaked.

With a wave of her hand, Iris dismissed her concerns, "Go nuts! I'm paying, remember?"

Uneasily, Touko picked up the menu again, glancing through the entrees. Spaghetti alla pescatora just looked all kinds of delicious to her, but the price was frightening. What if Iris was a con artist? What if she offered to pay for their meal, but sneaks away at the last minute with some lame excuse like going to the bathroom? Then she leaves her and Belle to pay for themselves? Then when they say that they do not have enough money to pay, will they have to wash dishes to pay off their dinner? Touko continued to fret, although she knew she had enough to pay. She just was not willing to fork over a majority of her remaining funds for one delicious dinner.

She relayed her choice to the waiter, then listened to Belle butcher the name of some pasta dish on the menu. Iris ordered her meal with expert fluidity, and the waiter nodded before leaving again.

Iris turned back to the girls, grinning, "Sooo who are you guys?"

Happily, the shorter girl chirped, "I'm Belle! Thank you so much for this! And this is Touko!" She gestured to her unusually quiet friend. Touko timidly nodded, still fretting over the exuberate cost of the dinner.

Iris sighed, holding up one of her fingers, wagging it, "Come on Touko! Lighten up! I told you I would pay for all of it! Just enjoy it, otherwise I'd be totally insulted!"

As if on cue, the girl's Axew popped out of her massive hair, startling the two teenage girls. They had not noticed the small Dragon Pokemon take refuge in his Trainer's hair. The little Dragon type nodded, growling in agreement. Iris chortled, "See! Even Axew agrees!"

"Oh my goodness, that's so cute! He lives in your hair?" Belle gushed. She reached for the Axew, picking him up gently.

Iris giggled, "Mmhm! He loves hiding in it while I travel. And frankly, he's not that hard to tote around. But…" she smirked, poking her Axew's belly, "If he keeps pigging out all the time, I won't be able to carry him around anymore."

"So you're a traveling trainer too, Iris?" Touko asked, raising an eyebrow, propping her elbow onto the table.

"You…could say that…" Iris flashed an enigmatic smile. "I do love traveling. And I am a trainer. So I suppose that is true?" She laughed, although there seemed to be some hidden secret teasing out of her laugh.

Belle set Axew back on the table, giggling, "We're traveling around Unova right now! We came from Nuvema. We're with two of our other friends, but they're out somewhere else right now. Professor Juniper sent us to record data on her Pokedexes, but we're going around challenging Gyms as well!"

Eyes lighting up, Iris chirped, "Is that so? Then you guys have quite a lot of traveling to do. This is barely scratching the surface of Unova. There's so much more beyond Castelia. Just wait until you get to Nimbasa. The buildings aren't as huge, but that city is the cultural center of Unova. The major sports stadiums are there and there's the Pokemon musical and the Pokemon movie studios, as well as an amusement park-"

Touko's eyes flew wide open and she slammed her palms into the table, startling Iris. "An amusement park?!" she gasped, to which Iris responded with a rapid nod.

"Yeah! It's huge! There's roller coasters and this giant Ferris wheel there-"

"And that one ride where it swings back and forth?"

"The pirate ship? I love that one!"

Suddenly, any lingering worries Touko had about Iris washed away.

* * *

Cheren flopped onto the bed, belly full of the best Pokemon Center food he'd ever tasted. In truth, he'd only been to four so far, but the exquisite tastes (and noticeably more expensive) food at the Castelia City Pokemon Center was by far the most scrumptious. The Pokemon Center seemed to be in far better repair than the other buildings and the inside was ostensibly nicer and made or higher quality materials without deviating from the standard layout of the centers. The hotel rooms, however, were larger and more comfortable. Instead of bunk beds, two queen sized beds occupied the room, more than enough space for two people to sleep comfortably on the beds. The raven-haired boy was content to just fall asleep then and there with a bloated stomach.

Touya flopped down on the bed beside him and Cheren grumbled at the disturbance. "So we're just going to sleep off the rest of the night while the girls are out?"

"Sounds good to me."

The male twin seemed to deliberate his choices for a moment before shrugging, kicking off his shoes and slipping under the covers. "Fair enough."

With a flip of the switch, the lights went off in the room and the boys fell into their food comas.

* * *

"Then Sir Wotterlot completely decimated them with one blow. ONE blow to both of those silly Patrats was all it took!" Touko boasted proudly, holding up her Poke ball. After dinner, the trio had begun walking deeper into the city, past the downtown and into the work district. The crowds were thinning, but there still seemed to be a never-ending stream of people all around the city.

"Impressive, since you're only new trainers." Iris grinned. "Though, I must say, the Gym Battle against the Striaton Triplets had to have been my favorite. Who would have thought you and your friends actually beat Cilantro, Chili Pepper, and Watercress at their own game?" She chortled, using their nicknames in teasing.

"Cilantro? You mean Cilan?" Touko started to guffaw, "Oh man, I never thought about it like that. He kinda does look like cilantro too…"

"Aw you two! Cilan was so nice to me!" Belle pouted, "Don't tease him!"

"Lighten up Belle! It's just harmless fun. I'm not saying that Cilan isn't a nice guy. I mean, he was damn attractive…"

"I dunno Touko…I think Cress is classier." Iris smirked, a small rosy blush rising up her cheeks.

Belle coughed a little, "I agree with Touko…"

"Hah! Two to one! We win Iris!" The female twin teased. Iris crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "You have to admit that Chili is just on fire…"

Rubbing her head, Touko murmured, "Alright, can't disagree there."

"Well isn't this a surprise? I didn't expect to find you three together here." A suave voice spoke up from behind them.

The girls turned their heads to the source of the familiar voice. There, standing in all his fashionable glory, was Burgh. From the amused smile on his face, it was clear he had overheard the girls. Nonetheless, Touko lit up, chirping, "Burgh! Hi! What are you doing here?"

The man gave her a strange look, but resumed smiled, gesturing grandly to the illuminated building behind him. "Why, this is my Gym, of course! Did you already forget I'm a Gym Leader, little lady?" he asked, wagging his finger playfully.

Blushing, Touko looked away innocently. "Of course not. I was just surprised to run into you."

"In front of my own Gym?" Burgh smirked slightly, flipping a tuff of his wavy locks out of his face.

Belle giggled when Touko's blush saturated.

"Must say though, I wasn't expecting to see Iris around yet. You sure travel fast," Burgh smiled, earning a proud stance from Iris.

She boasted, "I've been practicing my vine-hopping. Traveling through rural land was slow though."

Burgh nodded, before turning to Touko, crossing his arms. "And how are you? Feeling better, I presume?" He appraised her from head to toe, approving her return of spirit. He had been worried she might not recover quickly, but she seemed far better than he would have expected.

Assuaging his concerns, Touko grinned. "Just awesome! I don't believe I ever got the chance to thank you. Cheren said you were the reason I'm not some dead vegetable somewhere. So thanks!" She did a silly salute, grinning brightly at the man before her.

Burgh chuckled, uncrossing his arms with flourish. "Of course, of course! It was my pleasure, little lady. I expect to see you all at my Gym tomorrow though. You came to battle, yes?" He assessed the two teens and the girls felt themselves suddenly shrivel from his calculating eyes.

Nevertheless, Touko raised a fist into the air, cheering, "Hell yeah! I'll definitely come and beat you tomorrow and claim my third badge! Wait for it!" Belle giggled again, nodding slightly. She was not looking forward to the battle very much, but she had to try at least; her friends were all going after the Gym badges, after all.

With an approving nod, Burgh opened his Gym door, smiling, "In that case, I look forward to tomorrow. I need to finish some business before closing for the night. Try not to get into any more trouble with Team Plasma," he teased, waving his hand lazily at the building across the street. Somehow, his light words seemed to hold a heavy undertone. "Good night."

As he disappeared, the trio turned around, appraising the building behind them. Unlike many of the other edifices on the street, this one was not as brightly lit up, but the sign atop the entrance popped out to the teens. The jagged insignia of Team Plasma was an imposing presence, making the building stick out in its own way.

"This is where they're stationed? The Team Plasma headquarters?" Belle asked nervously, running her finger over the tiny scar on her neck. She still worn the scarf over it. "Why isn't Burgh doing anything about them?"

Raising her eyebrows, Iris asked, "What do you mean? Team Plasma is a charity organization. They basically fund the Pokemon Centers and Pokemon resources all over Unova."

Touko crossed her arms, scowling, "We haven't had the greatest run-ins with them so far. Or rather, the same group of people. They are just about the worst bunch of psychos. The robbery at Nacrene Museum was plain crazy. What purpose did it even serve in the end? They gave back the skull almost willingly in the end!" The memory left a bitter taste on her tongue and she practically spat the words out. She began to walk off, wanting to distance herself from the offending building.

"Nacrene Museum? According to a statement from Ghetsis Harmonia, that was just a rogue faction. He said he would deal with them." Iris reasoned, following along. "I'm sure it was all resolved. Team Plasma does far too much good to be, I dunno, secretly working on nefarious schemes in the shadows."

Still not convinced, Touko crossed her arms, frowning suspiciously. "Well, I don't care what they've done in the past. It's what they're doing NOW. They were armed with guns! Guns, Iris!" She gritted her teeth, "They kidnapped my brother, and I was poisoned trying to track them down!" The girls had entered a more busy area, and their loud voices were drawing attention to themselves.

"Well, it's not the whole of Team Plasma!" Iris bristled, crossing her arms as well. "It's just a group of renegades in their organization! And it was resolved was it not?"

"If it is, then why have they not been stopped yet? The executives have done nothing to stop the defects. They put my friend and I-" Touko clenched her fists, "-Through so much shit. It was like going to hell and back. I refuse to believe that Team Plasma would remain ignorant to the horrible shit these so called 'renegades' are pulling."

Both girls glared the other down, although Iris's short height and cutesy clothing made her less threatening.

Nervously, Belle stepped in between them, reasoning, "Ok, ladies. How about we all calm down and get some ice cream?" She pointed to a crowded ice cream stand, where people were practically trampling over each other to get a cone.

"Oh! Casteliacones are region-famous!" Iris sang, forgetting her confrontation. "Let's go!" With that, she ran over to the line, bobbing between her feet eagerly. Touko felt Belle tug her along and her anger dissipated.

* * *

Eyes followed the girls as they left, narrowing angrily.

"The brats are already in Castelia. What a pain in the ass," Sandra hissed, closing the blinds she was peering through. After their retreat, Sage Gorm returned to Team Plasma headquarters in Castelia, bringing the grunts along. They were to wait there until Ghetsis arrived with, hopefully, further instructions, and not punishment.

Seth cracked his knuckles, sneering. "And we can't do anything about it? If we capture the boy again, Ghetsis will surely be in a good mood."

Walking past him, Sandra removed her hood, running a hand through her ginger locks. "It's not that easy. He's not with them. It's only the two girls with Iris of Opelucid City. We can't freely operate with so many people around, in any case. Even if we're going for attention, we would need backup."

Silence fell and Seth let his arms fall to his side. Sighing, he responded, "At least we know they're here?"

Sandra growled, "That's not good enough for me! They're literally in front of us and we're not doing anything!"

"What do you suggest? Kidnap them? We tried that already and it didn't work out so well last time." Seth deadpanned. "What can we do? Steal their Pokemon and lure them here?"

Stopping short, Sandra whirled around, a slick smile spreading across her lips. "Actually, that's not a bad idea."

* * *

After battling for their creamy treats, the three girls headed off to the main plaza in the center of the town. Few people were in the area, allowing the girls some peace and solace. They plopped down onto an empty long-bench, slurping away at their frozen dessert. "Wah, _this_ is the way to finish off an excellent day," Touko chirped, swinging her feet playfully. The other two girls hummed in agreement.

Belle was especially happy, since she had snagged some Pokemon treats along with her ice cream. She tried to reach into her bag while holding her own cone, but Touko quickly took it up, saying, "I'll hang onto this while you look for your Poke balls." She flashed Belle a smile, which the blonde returned gratefully.

After a minute of searching, she pulled out her three Poke balls, releasing them simultaneous, although it looked more like she dropped them all by accident. Lia emerged with a lively bark, Porky sneezed flames, and Munna hummed. They paused to watch their trainer struggle with opening a bag and laughed when Touko reached over and easily ripped the bag from a cut at the top. With a blush, Belle distributed her snacks, which her Pokemon accepted quite happily.

Unbeknownst to the girls, a certain pair of grunts had followed them to the plaza and were now watching the trio with interest.

"Heh…too easy…" A small pop was heard as a Woobat was released from its confines.

Touko looked up from her ice cream, noticing the approaching Woobat. Chills ran down her back and before she could open her mouth to voice her suspicions, the Pokemon began to glow. Touko yelped, closing her eyes too late and was blinded by Flash. Her companions yelled in alarm as well, but a piercing scream from Munna overpowered all other sounds.

When the light faded from behind their eyelids, the girls blinked the green spots out of their eyes and Belle let out a distressed call. "He-Helen! She's gone!"

The other two girls snapped out of their discomfort and Belle's Pokemon seemed to notice their missing companion as well. "Wh-wha?" Iris babbled. Touko's eyes narrowed again and she whipped her head up. Over by the trees surrounding the plaza, she spotted two familiar, but most certainly not welcome, figures.

Sandra smirked, her arms crossed haughtily as Seth held onto a squealing Helen. The knife he held to the Munna scared the struggling Pokemon into submission. "Yeah. Pokemon are definitely easier to handle than a brat," Seth deadpanned, an arrogant smile stretching across his face.

"Damn you!" Touko jumped to her feet, blinking the disorientation from her eyes. "You bastards have nothing better to do than stalk and torment us?" She clenched her fist, the other shooting to her bag to grab her Poke balls.

The two only smirked before waving and leaping through the trees. Touko blinked, growling, "Get back here!" She took off into a sprint, leaving Iris and Belle behind.

"Let's follow!" Iris looked at Belle, who was struggling to return her other Pokemon. The blonde glanced frantically at Touko's retreating back and at Iris while fumbling to find her Poke balls. The dark-skinned girl gaped in exasperation, her eyes flickering to and from the two girls.

Touko disappeared into the trees just as Belle finally found her capsules. Another few seconds had her Pokemon back safely in their balls and Belle had stumbled to her feet, dashing after Touko.

The brunette had not lost track of her target. To the grunts' irritation, the speedy girl was gaining on them. They dashed around a corner into a dark alley, Munna squealing loudly. Touko swerved into the passage and suddenly stopped as Seth had been waiting. He kicked over a number of trash cans, one colliding with the girl. She yelped, falling to the ground. The man laughed, turning around to run again. Incensed, the teen jumped back up, leaping gracefully over the fallen trashcans and continuing her pursuit.

Iris was growling. Belle was an exceptionally clumsy and slow runner and Iris would much rather hop along the tops of buildings then run at the slow pace she was. She knew she could not abandon the poor girl, so she sucked up her irritation and turned to Belle, "Come on! We gotta hurry!"

The poor blonde was panting and gasping, her dress not allowing much freedom for her legs. Iris could only wonder how she could ever consider that proper traveling apparel. By now, the two had lost track of the grunts and Touko. Iris stopped, glancing around for a sign of where they went. Belle caught up, collapsing onto her knees, wheezing.

Concerned, Iris fretted, "Belle, you ok?"

Nodding, Belle looked up, eyes glistening with tears. "I-I'm sorry…I'm s-so slow…and…" She trailed off, having difficulty breathing.

Iris felt bad for feeling snarky earlier, and bent down to Belle, rubbing her back. "There, there…let's rest a while."

"W-we can't!' Belle yelped, but she made no effort of getting up. "They took Helen…they're always doing these terrible things to us! Those Team Plasma jerks!"

Iris recoiled, frowning. True, she had witnessed with her own eyes the problematic renegades the two girls had told her about, but she still could not believe that anyone in Team Plasma was capable of doing such horrid deeds.

Hand to her chin, Iris glanced around with calculating eyes. "Let's go to Plasma headquarters. They might not be there, but it's better than running around like lost Spindas. Come on!" She dragged her companion to her feet, grinning. "Giving up isn't an option!" Without waiting for a response, Iris tugged Belle forward, memorizing the way back to Plasma headquarters.

Meanwhile, Touko never once tired or stopped, her eyes glued on the backs of the escaping grunts. The chase was becoming tiring and the two adults decided to round back home. "Where did the other two go?" Sandra said loud enough only for her partner to hear.

Seth looked behind, only seeing Touko and narrowed his eyes. "Must have lost them. Maybe we moved too fast."

Cursing, Sandra growled, "Let's get back to headquarters. One hostage is enough to snuff out that boy."

Touko focused on the grunts, frowning. What were they talking about? Her thoughts were interrupted when they suddenly swerved off to another side alley. Touko hissed, turning sharply. They had turned back to one of the main streets, although not many people were milling about at this hour. She caught sight of them running into…

"Team Plasma headquarters," she growled, running up to the doors. She tried to open it, but the doorknob only rattled, refusing to open. In frustration, she kicked at the door. A voice called out to her and she turned around. Belle and Iris were dashing up to her, their faces red from running. Touko's eyes brightened before becoming angry again and she turned the full intensity of her glare back on the door.

"Those freaking goons ran inside and locked the door behind them! We can't get in!" She gritted her teeth, trying uselessly to open the door again.

Belle looked remorsefully at the steel door, whimpering, "My poor Helen…." She collapsed onto her knees again, sniffling. "I'm so useless…I always am…"

"No you're not!" Touko immediately chided, squatting down to meet her friend. "They're just assholes. Always doing whatever they please…" She turned back to the door, shouting, "JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?"

Behind the door, Sandra and Seth smirked; Seth was fiddling with the frightened Munna. "So now we just wait. Those girls are sure to call their friends in…"

And right they were. Touko, after another few attempts at breaking down the metal door, whipped out her Xtransceiver and dialed a number furiously.

Back in the hotel room, the boys' dreams were interrupted by a blaring ringtone coming from a certain brunette's device. Cheren groaned, smacking a pillow over his head. He had a bad feeling about the call but really did not enjoy having his sleep interrupted by so.

Touya was even less pleased. His anger flared up, more so than it usually does from a rude awakening, and he jabbed a button to answer the call. "The hell do you want?" He growled.

"Quit being a grouchy jerk and get over to Team Plasma headquarters!" His sister's urgent and impatient voice blared through the speakers.

Her sweaty and agitated face showed up on the screen and suddenly, Touya was wide awake. He was composed within seconds and even Cheren had sidled up to the boy's side to glance at the screen. "What's going on, Touko?" the raven-haired boy asked.

"Just get down here! The headquarters is right across from Burgh's Gym! Those two grunts showed up and snatched Belle's Munna! We can't get in…they locked the doors on us!" Touko quickly debriefed the situation to them and the boys were quickly slipping on their shoes.

"Hmm, be there soon," Touya replied, hanging up. Without another word, the two teens ran out of their room.

Touko looked at the static screen as her brother hung up and she gritted her teeth again.

Iris crossed her arms, "There's not use standing here. We're going to do something. I'm going to get Burgh." She turned and ran towards the brightly lit Gym, pounding at the doors. When no answer came, she whipped out a phone and dialed, jabbering into the phone with authority.

Overhead, a shadow passed by, but it was gone by the time Touko looked up. The moon was brightly lit, so she wondered what could have possibly covered it for a moment. Had she imagined it? Nothing seemed amiss on the rooftops of the huge skyscrapers, so she dismissed her thoughts, turning her attention back to the door.

Minutes ticked by before the others showed up. The two teen boys came running up first and their eyes softened at the defeated Belle, still on the ground. Touko was kicking the door again, finally restrained by Cheren. Burgh showed up moments later, his face stern again. He had heard the details from Iris and he gazed suspiciously at the door.

"We'll break down the door," Burgh announced, startling the teenagers present. "I'll deal with any legalities that arise from this. Right now, it's most important to retrieve the Munna." He nodded to Belle, smiling. "We'll get her back. I promise."

Belle wiped furiously at her tears, trying to put up a brave face, but failing miserably. No one had dared say anything though, only giving her looks of sympathy.

Leavanny appeared out of one of Burgh's Poke balls. There was a flash, and suddenly, the door had caved into itself, falling to the ground. The teens gaped, but Iris only rolled her eyes. Seriously, Burgh was so flashy sometimes.

The room was dark, except for the silhouettes of two people standing at the other end. Helen's piercing wails came from the direction and Belle started forward, only to be restrained by Touko.

"Ugh, you better pay for that door," a bored voice said. Sandra.

Burgh narrowed his eyes, appraising the figures in the darkness. "I believe you have something that doesn't belong to you."

Light filled the room momentarily as two Pokemon appeared from within their Poke balls from the enemy side and the teens responded by releasing their own fighters.

"I wouldn't do anything if I were you," said the other voice. Seth. "Wouldn't want this fat thing to get hurt, now do we?" Helen let out another desperate cry at this point.

"Bastards," Cheren hissed, calculating a plan in his head. However, before he could, a strange mechanical sound echoed through the otherwise silent room, and a small "ding" sounded. Sandra and Seth turned around and gasped.

"My my, this room is so dark. Lights please," said a smooth voice. Instantly, the bright panel lights flickered on overhead, illuminating the dark room.

Everyone winced, allowing their eyes to adjust. When they did, Iris was gaping. "S-Sir Ghetsis Harmonia!"

And there the man was, standing in his glorious robes, piercing eyes boring into the two grunts before him. They stiffened, flinching when Ghetsis spoke up again. "Sandra…Seth…how disappointing. I cannot believe you were leading this ridiculous revolt all this time…"

"Master Ghetsis?" the woman squeaked, not believing her ears.

"Punishment awaits those who commit crimes. Did you think you two could get away with it?" the regal man continued. He commanded the attention of the occupants, who listened in frozen fervor. "I am very disappointed. I am ashamed to have let your shenanigans last as long as they have. Your wrongdoings will be castigated."

The grunts paled, frozen in fear. When they did nothing, Ghetsis ordered, "Release the Munna. Now."

Seth's hand went limp and the Munna shot out of his grasp, zooming back to Belle, who received her Pokemon with welcoming arms and warm tears. Touko had turned to comfort her friend while the others were still watching the scene in awe.

Ghetsis had produced handcuffs from his robes, slapping them onto Sandra and Seth's wrists. He turned to the group at the door, smiling royally. "Ah…I must sincerely apologize. My subordinates have caused you all so much trouble. I am absolutely aghast." The smile fell, "I promise to make sure they receive proper punishment. And nothing like this will happen again, not as long as I am around to remonstrate degenerates. Also, I will provide compensation. Gym Leader Burgh, may I count on your assistance?"

Burgh blinked, the suspicious look gone. It was replaced with a diplomatic smile, "Oh no, I'm glad you came to resolve the matter. I'd be happy to help out in any way possible."

Iris cut in, "Yeah! I knew Team Plasma was good! Just a couple of bad eggs thrown in. Justice always prevails!" She cheered.

Ghetsis chuckled, turning around back to the elevator. "Burgh, I will contact you later." The Gym Leader nodded, waving to the man as he turned to leave again.

Suspicious, Cheren suddenly called out, "Wait. How did you get here?"

Ghetsis turned around, smiling again. "I only arrived moments ago from the roof. I flew here, of course." He laughed, nodding, "Good night then. I shall report to the press about what has transpired here. As apologies, I will provide more funds for the Pokemon Center in Castelia. I wish I can stay to discuss this matter, but I am a very busy man." His eyes scanned over the four teens, resting a moment longer on Touya. The boy felt a slight shiver run down his spine, but his face remained stoic. "Oh, and do not fret about the door. Expect to hear from me soon. Now I bade you good night."

With that brief appearance, the man left, prisoners in toll. They disappeared into the elevator and the room was silent again, save for Belle's sniffling. She slowly returned Helen to her Poke ball, getting shakily to her feet with Touko's support. Cheren continued to look at the elevator, eyes calculating.

Was it really resolved? Something told him their problems were not over just yet.

* * *

**A/N: Bah…this chapter wasn't too exciting. I'm sorry. And again, I'm sorry for the long long wait. This one is a tad bit longer than the last few chapters, so hopefully it made up for it. Ah who am I kidding, it probably doesn't. **

**The next chapter won't be out for a while, unless I can come up with something during Thanksgiving break. I'm kinda at a writer's block right now…**

**Anyways, review please! It keeps me wanting to write, because after finishing this chapter, I suddenly don't feel like writing anymore…then again, that's probably my writer's block talking.**

**~Alexie**


	16. Ch 15: It's a Bug's Life

**A/N: _PLEASE READ. IMPORTANT INFORMATION + APOLOGY._**

**I am sorry. **

**I am utterly sorry for abandoning this story for the last 16 months. I honestly don't have an excuse. I just didn't want to work on this story. I started a Katekyo Hitman Reborn fic and got really into it. I considered popping out another chapter of this fic several times but that never actually did. There were times where I just wanted to write a message to all my readers telling them that I was discontinuing this fic, but whenever I felt the urge to do that, some cosmic force presented me with a private message or a review spurring me to go on. **

**Just recently, I read this amazing Pokemon fanfiction called Pedestal. I'm sure some of you have heard of it or have even read it. I literally dedicated three full days to reading it and did absolutely nothing else but eat, shower, and sorta sleep. It was a roller-coaster ride for me as I went through the 175 chapters of ****Pedestal****, but it gave me a spark of inspiration to continue my story. To be honest, I think part of the reason I was never able to truly abandon this fanfic was because I have the general story laid out. I have most of the events already established. I even have an ending. I just needed the motivation to keep writing. ****Pedestal**** gave me part of the motivation I needed.**

**The other part comprised of my readers and reviewers. I don't know how many of you will actually continue reading my story after such a long hiatus, but it was the fact that I could not abandon those fervent readers of mine that I decided to make a comeback. You guys managed to make me reconsider picking up my fic time and time again and that's all it really takes to keep me from completely quitting. I recently received a new review right when I was absolutely ready to discontinue ****Rise of Harmonia****. I was actually planning out the message I was going to type to all my readers. After seeing that review, however, I went back and reread some old reviews and really could not bring myself to quit. **

**But my story was pretty horrendous at some parts, so I spent about a weekend going through my old chapters and fixed many mistakes and plot-holes. I actually changed a few things in the plot, including the prophecy and the Pokemon teams each teen had. As a result, I would **_**really**_** love for you guys to reread this whole story from the beginning. I know not everyone wants to do that nor has that kind of time, so I included a brief list of the changes I made. But really, it would be a lot better if you reread the story. It has been 16 months, so I'm sure most of it is gone from your memory. I know I forgot a lot of things that happened in my story. If you are reading this story for the first time, you don't have to reread. The story is already up-to-date. **

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**Changes to ****Rise of Harmonia as of 3/4/13****: **

**-If you reread nothing else, **_**PLEASE REREAD THE PROLOGUE**_**. The story of the prophet and Musharna's part in the legend changed a bit, but the change was significant enough for it to deserve a reread. It's not long either.**

**-This is a silly one, but I noticed that I overused "smirk," so I went back and changed a lot of them into another verb.**

**- I abuse commas. I swear I took out at least a couple hundred of them while I was editing. In my longest chapter, I actually kept count. Assuming I did not miscount, it was about 50 commas.**

**-The size of Nuvema Town was changed as well as the distances between towns.**

**-The story of how Belle sneaked out from her house changed. **

**-Professor Juniper has a Cinccino, not a Minccino. **

**-The teens actually know about Belle's fear of water; after all, best friends should know each other really well. The story behind her fear is explained.**

**-Devin Clearwater (father of Touko and Touya) was never a member of Team Plasma but was still a researcher of Dream Energy. **

**-I added a nurse's visit in Nacrene.**

**-I revamped the Pokemon League challenge. Instead of a tournament, I replaced it with Victory Road and restructured the explanation of becoming a Champion and the duties the position requires.**

**-The schoolgirl who gave the Pansear, Panpour, and Pansage to the teens is now a woman named Marisol who is an intern at the Pokemon Center. **

**-All three monkey Pokemon were sent to Professor Juniper.**

**-I renamed Belle's Munna to be Helen and gave names to Cheren's Pokemon as well. His Pidove is Henry and his Purrloin is Marie. His Scolipede has yet to be named.**

**-Touya accidentally caught a Roggenola while he was chasing after Oz. Belle named it Riley for him.**

**-The teens each received a Pokemon egg from the daycare center. They have not hatched yet. Quoted from the text: **_**"Touko chose an egg with a zig-zag gray-blue and white pattern with little splashes of red scattered. Belle's egg had an alternating light and dark green pattern. Cheren took longer than the girls and picked up one very similar to Belle's, only the greens were more olive in tone. Touya actually spent the longest picking his egg and finally decided on one with jagged diagonal stripes of umber and blue."**_

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**Again, I apologize profusely. I know I lost a lot of my readers and that's fine with me. To those who have been waiting so patiently for an update, I have a very long chapter for you all!**

**I know I have no right to ask of this now, but I would really appreciate any reviews or comments. Thank you. Truly, thank you for those who actually choose to read my story again. I'm blessed to have readers like you. –bows–**

**Without further ado, here is the long postponed chapter of ****Rise of Harmonia**** on its two-year anniversary!**

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_Chapter 15: It's a Bug's Life_

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_October 15, 2010_

"What…is that yellow stuff?"

The teens were currently standing at the lobby of Burgh's gym, inspecting the golden goop that acted as a screen over the only other entryway in the colorful lobby. Paintings drawn by Burgh decorated the rainbow walls. The teens only knew it was Burgh's work because the style resembled that of the paining in Professor Juniper's lab.

Tentatively, Touko stuck her finger into the mysterious mass to collect a sample. She pulled her finger back and a persistent trail of the substance followed it. She held it up to her nose, sniffing.

She was about to put her finger in her mouth when Cheren stopped her. "Touko, that's disgusting." He wrinkled his nose.

She blinked. Then, she smiled devilishly at him and made a deliberate show of licking the goop from her finger, her smile only widening when she saw his horrified reaction.

Triumphantly, she announced, "It's honey."

Gathering his senses, Cheren raised an eyebrow. "Honey?"

Now curious, Belle also stuck her finger into the mass and licked it. "Wow! It is! It's really good honey too!"

Cheren sighed heavily. Eccentric, artistic, Bug-type Gym Leader. Great. "So are we supposed to walk through that?" He eyed the wall of honey distastefully. He just took a shower. There was no way he was going to traipse through honey right now.

Touya unhooked one of his Poke balls and summoned Zula. The Dewott stood quietly by, waiting for a command. The teen pointed at the wall and said, "Try Razor Shell on that."

Nodding, Zula dashed for the goop, gracefully withdrawing her scalchops as they began to glow. Two shining blue blades extended from the shells and she slashed. To her surprise, the wall caught her weapon and the shining blade dissipated into thin air.

Her trainer was just as surprised, although the emotion did not make it to his stoic face. "Hm." He gave a short huff.

Cheren raised his eyebrows and called out his Pidove. "Air Cutter!" He pointed at the honey. Alas, Henry's attack disappeared the moment it hit the honey as well.

Even Belle gave it a shot with Porky's Ember, but that did not work either. It seemed like the wall absorbed all Pokemon attacks.

Touko pulled out her own Pokemon. Joy appeared in a shower of stars and immediately turned towards the wall of honey. She crawled over, ignoring Touko's words and started to lick at the sweet substance.

"Well, unless we _eat_ it, I don't think we can get through this honey wall." She pointed at her Sewaddle. "There's no way we can have our Pokemon eat through that much honey. I love my sweets but even I feel like this is overkill."

Joy soon grew tired of the sticky sweetness and crawled back over to Touko, her mandibles covered in golden honey. Sighing, Touko bent down to wipe the excess off before returning her.

Touko stuck her entire hand through the goop, withdrawing it after she felt it pierce through to the other side. "But it looks like we can pass through it just fine."

"Ohhh but that's so messy!" Belle whined, adjusting her hat. "It will take forever to wash off all that stuff!"

"Well, we can just use our irritation to drive us to defeat Burgh!" Touko took off her hat and vest and placed it into her bag. Taking a deep breath, she stepped towards the wall, shivering when the honey made contact with her skin. She closed her eyes and forced her body through the screen, popping out the other side. She glanced down at herself, grimacing at all the honey on her clothes and skin. She shook her arms to flick some of it off, although most of it persistently clung to her.

Through the semi-transparent screen, she turned around, giving a thumbs-up to her companions. Belle went next and like Touko, she took off her hat, along with her scarf. She squealed when she emerged from the other side, trying to wipe the honey from her face.

The boys soon followed reluctantly. Touya tucked his hat away within his bag. Cheren took off his glasses and stuck them into his blazer pocket. He wore a livid expression when he passed through the honey and said nothing to his companions.

The teens looked around the area they were in, hoping to find something to clean themselves with.

All four friends simultaneously groaned when they spotted another honey wall to their left.

* * *

"Buuuuurgh!" Touko yelled when she finally found the Gym Leader's room.

Said Gym Leader looked up from his easel, beaming at the sight of the four rather unhappy trainers.

"Little Lady and friends! I didn't see you guys yesterday!"

"That's because we were resting!" Touko cried, trying to shake off the honey again. "And for good reason! Burgh, why do you make trainers walk through honey into order to battle you? You're crazy, man!"

"It's rather disgusting, if you ask me," Cheren hissed, peeling off his blazer and dropping it onto the ground.

Burgh raised his eyebrows. "Disgusting? No no! It's-" He stood up from his easel, throwing his arms up into the air with flourish. "-Art!"

The teens did not seem impressed. Pouting, Burgh added, "Oh come on! It's good for your skin! It's a special kind of honey that my Leavanny makes. It's one of the best moisturizers I've ever used! It's great for sore throats too!" When the teens said nothing, he sighed.

"Ok, geez. No one ever likes my honey…" he mumbled, gesturing the teens to follow him. Burgh pointed at two doors at one end of the room. "Those are dressing rooms. One's for ladies and the other's for gentlemen. Go ahead and change into one of the spare outfits I leave here for trainers and leave your clothes for one my lovely maids to clean for you. They'll be cleaned and dried by the time you are ready to leave the gym! You can wash the honey from your hair and wipe it off with the special wipes I provided." He waved them off. "Now hurry! I've been itching for a battle for some time now! Oh, and don't do anything funny to my maids. They can get _kinda_ nasty when you do." He shivered at the thought, making the teens rather nervous. They did not plan on treating the maids unkindly to begin with anyways.

The teens cast one more withering glance at Burgh before going into their respective dressing rooms. Unsurprisingly, the walls inside were rainbow. Lockers lined one side of the room with private rooms on the adjacent side. Barber-style chairs with sinks took up the middle portion of the room.

Belle and Touko were greeted by a few smiling maids who immediately bustled them into the private rooms.

"Please hand us your clothes and use the wipes to remove excess honey from your body! Put on a robe afterwards and come out so we can wash your hair before you change! Would you like assistance with reaching your backs?" One of the maids smiled at the girls.

"No, it's ok! Touko and I will help each other!" Belle chirped, going into the room with her friend.

Touko whistled, clearly impressed. "Woooow. Burgh's got quite the set up here." She locked the door behind her, throwing off her tank top, shorts, and shoes. She found the wipes, delighted that the honey came right off with a single swipe. Before long, she and Belle were in the spare robes and back in the main part of the room.

The maids washed their hair quickly with a shampoo that smelled strongly of citrus. Their hair was even blow-dried. The girls gave the maids their sizes and the workers returned with spare clothes.

It was obvious they were designed by the same person who designed Burgh's outfit. They received flamboyant, patterned skirts and flowing blouses with floral designs all over them. The clothes seemed far too fancy to be mere "spare outfits." The two trainers were even offered scarves to "complete their outfits." Belle accepted, even though her wound has long since closed. She had gotten used to wearing a scarf around her neck.

When they were cleaned and dressed, the girls headed back out with their Poke balls, having left their bags for the maids to also clean. The boys came out shortly after and the girls burst into hysterical laughter.

Their spare outfits looked like clothes straight out of Burgh's closet. Polka dotted skinny pants hugged their legs and tight V-necks shirts exposed their collars. Neither of them chose to wear a scarf, which the girls were fairly sure had been offered to them. Cheren had the biggest scowl and blush that Touko had seen in a while, which only made her laugh harder.

"A-Ahhh my stomach!" She chortled, trying to choke back her laughter. Belle buried her face into her hands, muffling her giggles.

Touya seemed indifferent to their reactions, just picking at the waist of his tight pants. Cheren was still seething, on the other hand.

"Shut up, Touko." Cheren growled, turning to Burgh, whose eyes were shining.

"Oh! Simply magnificent! You all look splendid in my designs!" Of course he was the one who designed his own clothes. "Oh, what joy it brings my artistic soul to see you all in them!" Burgh clapped his hands together. "See, the honey wasn't so bad, was it? My maids cleaned you all up very nicely." He nodded.

"Can we just battle now?" Cheren huffed, crossing his arms.

Smiling, Burgh opened up his arms. "Of course, of course! I'm thinking a simple one-on-one battle will suffice. Who's going first?"

"I am," Cheren growled, stepping up to the field. A referee was already situated at the viewing box, flags in hand.

"This will be a one-on-one Gym Battle between the Gym Leader of Castelia City and the challenger. Once a Pokemon is unable to continue, that trainer is out." The referee swiped the flags down and called, "And begin!"

Without wasting a beat, Burgh threw out a Poke ball, revealing a Swadloon. The creature wrapped its leaves tighter around itself upon release, staring straight at Cheren.

Accepting the challenge, Cheren tossed out his own Pokemon without hesitation. Loud coos echoed through the battlefield as Henry soared from his capsule. He flew a circle in the sky before turning to appraise his grounded opponent. The two Pokemon locked eyes, acknowledging each other.

Burgh gestured to Cheren to start and the teen was happy to oblige. Henry had gotten stronger along the road to Castelia and Cheren was confident that he could win. He did have an advantage, after all. "Leer!"

Henry intensified his gaze upon the Swadloon, but the Gym Pokemon seemed to maintain its composure. Perhaps it was because it had faced Flying-types many times before. Because of its extreme weakness to Flying moves, Burgh had trained it to properly defend and counter against them.

"String Shot!" Burgh pointed at the Pidove, smirking.

The Swadloon shot a gossamer string from its mouth, which wrapped around the Pidove hovering in the air. Squawking in surprise, Henry was pulled forcefully to the ground by the sticky string. It crashed with a tremendous thump, eliciting a cry from Cheren.

Henry cooed loudly, struggling against his binding, finding it far stronger than he had expected. He managed to loosen them long enough to heed Cheren's next order. "Break them off! Gust! And make it strong!"

With a mighty flex, the Pidove freed his wings enough to flap and produce a powerful Gust. Whirlwinds overtook the field, whipping at the Swadloon. It disappeared into a cloud of dust and debris.

Cheren held his breath, waiting for the dust to settle. Henry hovered high in the sky, cautious about being caught by another String Shot.

Burgh smiled at the disappointed youth when his Swadloon emerged unscathed with a shining barrier erected around it. The Protect faded out at the same moment that the Gym Leader called out, "Razor Leaf."

The Swadloon opened its leaves with flourish and shot spinning leaf blades at its opponent. Henry swooped about to dodge the projectiles, escaping most of them. A couple cut into his feathers, although no bloody wounds came of them.

Not wanting to waste the movements, Cheren shouted, "Do another Gust while you're at it!"

"Protect!" Burgh responded.

Cheren was having none of that. "Quick Attack first!"

"What?" Surprised, the Gym Leader issued no new order to see what would happen.

Henry quickly changed his attack patterns from forming another Gust tornado to bolting straight down at the Swadloon with a Quick Attack. He winced when his beak collided with the Protect barrier but resumed his previous order by circling back up into the sky. His speed picked up as he whipped up another Gust.

"Keep going!" Cheren ordered, watching the Gust grow wider and stronger. Burgh narrowed his eyes, seeing his opponent's game.

A small cry sounded from within the Gust. When the attack settled once more, the Protect was gone and the Swadloon seemed a bit worse for wear. Henry's Gust had persisted through the Protect, managing to injure the Swadloon the moment it lifted up.

Cheren loosened the fists he unconsciously made. "Alright, good! Continue with an Air Cutter!"

Cooing in affirmation, Henry unleashed his attack, raining sickles of air upon the Swadloon. When the assault ended, the Swadloon had some of its leaves torn or ruffled. The teen knew the battle was almost over. He heard the girls cheering loudly for him over at the spectator stands and smiled to himself.

Burgh smiled, not quite ready to give up. "Swadloon, use another Razor Leaf!"

He watched as the Pidove dodged another onslaught of the leaf blades without much effort before he volleyed another Air Cutter back at his Swadloon. The Gym Pokemon fell and remained unmoving, prompting the referee to raise the red flag and announce the winner as Cheren. Burgh pulled out his Poke ball and returned the Swadloon with a smile.

Overhead, Henry cooed excitedly at his win. The happiness built up, igniting an odd sensation within him. He suddenly spun so fast that he became a blur, the air around him momentarily glowing. Circling to the ground, he landed in front of his trainer. When the winds surrounding him disappeared, Henry had grown and changed completely in appearance, with the pattern of blacks and grays across his body rearranged. His tail had extended and had new designs across it. His eyelids were red and framed by a head of black feathers that jutted upwards into a sharp crest. Even his voice became deeper when he cooed. The change refreshed the Pokemon and he hopped expectantly in front of his trainer.

Cheren was grinning madly at the sight of his new Tranquill. He reached down and stroked his Pokemon's feathers. "Congratulations on a job well done. Your evolution was spectacular as well." Henry cooed happily, nuzzling into Cheren's hand.

Burgh watched with a half-smile before clearing his throat. "Fantastic job. Watching you battle was quite the treat. It was like a high-speed strategy battle. Oh, it was fun indeed!"

His smile fell. "You put a lot of emphasis on strength, however. You try and muscle your way in each turn and your Pokemon reflect your desires quite well. Even moves that aren't meant to be so forceful came off as being so. While you have excellent strategies, you aren't allowing the full potential of each move to be released. A job well done indeed, though. Congratulations on winning the Insect Badge! I'll give out the badges and prizes all collectively out at the end of all the matches, alrighty?"

Cheren mauled over his words, not quite sure what he meant. He supposed he could ask Burgh in private later, since he had planned to consult the Gym Leader about the Scolipede. "Thank you, Burgh. I enjoyed the battle." He stood up, returning Henry and stepping off the field.

Touko greeted him first. "Great job, Cheren! I dunno about what Burgh said, but I thought your Pidove looked pretty cool out there!" She grinned, although her beam only widened when she saw his outfit again up close. As if reading her mind, Cheren's good humor was ruined again and he sat down next to Touya in a huff.

"Congratulations Cheren!" Belle chirped, leaning forward so that she could see Cheren. She also looked like she was trying not to start laughing again.

"I am ready to get out of his clothes as soon as possible," he growled, frustrated when he found no blazer pockets to stick his hands into. He adjusted his glasses instead and crossed his arms. Beside him, the male twin said nothing, only leaning back into his seat.

Burgh looked at the teens, holding his arms out. "So, who's next?"

The teens looked between each other, unsure of who should go. Touko was not willing to go, especially since neither of her Pokemon had a type advantage against Bug-types. In fact, Sir Wotterlot had a type weakness against Burgh's Leavanny. As her situation dawned on her, she began to fidget nervously.

Sensing his sister's discomfort, Touya got to his feet and walked towards the field. Burgh recognized him as the other twin, the one they had gone into Pinwheel Forest to rescue. The referee looked to both trainers to make sure they were ready before starting the next match.

After a moment of deliberation, Burgh sent out another Pokemon. He glanced briefly at Touko to see what her reaction was. As expected, the girl grimaced at the sight of the Whirlipede that materialized.

Touya's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, although it was so insignificant that no one noticed. He tossed out a Poke ball and Oz appeared with an electrifying neigh.

"Oz, use Thunderwave." Touya calmly started the battle.

At the same time, Burgh ordered, "Whirlipede, Screech!"

The intense sound waves intercepted the wave of electricity in the middle of the field with a loud bang. The two forces dispersed without reaching their targets. Burgh shouted a command that was drowned out by the collision. Touya had no time to retaliate as the Whirlipede sped forward in a blur of dark mist and slammed into his Blitzle.

Oz grunted, stumbling back several paces from the Pursuit. He grounded his hooves and shook off the attack. His trainer shouted, "Shockwave!"

With a thunderous whinny, Oz shot a Shockwave point-blank at the Whirlipede. It flew back from the hit, hissing as it skidded across the field. It rolled back onto its feet, body still crackling from the Shockwave's electricity. It held up however, but was clearly incensed now. Without a command, it let out a Screech, causing Oz to flinch and retreat from the grinding sound.

Burgh merely had his arms crossed, eyes calculating. Touya took the chance to issue another order. His Pokemon snorted, body bursting into flames. Oz revved up his Flame Charge to maximum power before galloping forward to take down the Gym Pokemon.

But the Gym Leader had anticipated this. He had seen enough Blitzles in his Gym to know that Flame Charge was an unexpected threat to his Pokemon so he developed countermeasures for the attack. His Pokemon knew exactly what to do, so he just stood by and watched the show.

Whirlpede stood its ground as the Blitzle charged for it. In the last moments before the Blitzle hit, it spun its body in place. Oz stumbled in surprise for a split-second but slammed right into the Whirlipede nonetheless. The Gym Pokemon went flying with a screech, but landed perfectly on its feet, panting heavily. It survived the Flame Charge with nothing more than a small burn on part of its shell.

Suddenly, one of Oz's legs collapsed. He caught himself on his knee and began to whine. Surprised, Touya called out, "What's wrong, Oz?"

Burgh smiled, uncrossing his arms. "So Poison Tail did manage to hit your Blitzle. Splendid!" The Gym Leader did not give his opponent any chance to retaliate, knowing another attack from his opponent will take out his Whirlipede. "Struggle Bug!"

His Whirlipede began to spin again but moved forward like a wheel, racing straight for the Oz. When it was close enough, waves of energy shot from it, hitting the Blitzle with full force.

Oz's back legs collapsed and he let out a desperate neigh, sending out an unintentional Thunderwave that caught the Whirlipede by surprise. Although it did not paralyze the Gym Pokemon, the wave stopped its assault. The Whirlipede hissed in annoyance, feeling its muscles lock up ever so slightly.

Touya felt a moment of fear when he saw his Blitzle fall. Oz was panting now, struggling to stay upright. The poison in his system was no doubt taking its toll and Touya knew he had to end the match soon if he wanted any chance of winning. In the back of his mind, he had expected the battle to be a cinch but was unpleasantly surprised by Burgh's prowess. The eccentric artist was not a Gym Leader without a reason.

Burgh gritted his teeth. "Quickly, Struggle Bug again!"

"Oz!" Touya cried, desperation slipping into his features.

The Blitzle tried to stand up but promptly fell down. Meanwhile, the Whirlipede was getting closer.

"Once more! Shockwave!"

Oz climbed back to his feet with his trainer's command just in time to clumsily shoot a Shockwave at the spinning Whirlipede. Had his opponent been at full vitality, the Shockwave would have merely bounced off of the Pokemon. However, the Whirlipede's advance was stopped once again. It spat and hissed as it tumbled off to the side.

The Blitzle suddenly stumbled slightly, righting itself just in time to heed Touya's next order. "Flame Charge!" Touya could have sworn that Burgh pulled a resigned smile at his final command. Oz gave a mighty cry and exploded in glowing flames once more, dashing for the struggling Whirlipede. The Gym Pokemon took the full brunt of the attack and soared through the air, landing a few feet in front of its trainer. Its prone form showed no signs of moving and the referee signaled Touya's win.

Oz finally collapsed completely onto the ground, panting heavily. He cringed as the poison worked its way through his veins. Touya ran to his Pokemon to check his condition. Burgh called back his Whirlipede and made his way over to the teen as well, pulling out an Antidote.

"Here, a small gift for winning the Gym Battle." He tossed the bottle to Touya. As he watched the teen spray the Antidote onto Oz, Burgh commented, "Congratulations. You did quite well to counter my counters. You're an excellent strategist as well." He considered a thought for a moment before bending down next to Touya. The teen turned to him, poker face on.

Burgh furrowed his eyebrows. "How well do you feel that your Pokemon understand you?"

"What?" Touya blinked, not sure how to answer.

"You know, do you connect well to them? I did not feel a strong connection between you and your Blitzle. Instead of determination built on encouragement, it seemed like your Blitzle heeded your orders out of obligation. If you get closer to your Pokemon, then they will become stronger and fight better. Just a thought." He patted Touya on the shoulder, offering a hand to the teen. "Congratulations! You did fantastically nonetheless!"

"Thank you," the teen said quietly, taking the hand to get back onto his feet.

Touya watched Burgh walk away, his eyes emotionless, recalling his Blitzle with a word of thanks to the Pokemon. He went back to the stands.

"Congratulations Touya! But is Oz ok?" Belle fretted.

The twin smiled slightly, nodding. "He should be fine. I took care of the poison for now."

Belle smiled in relief at that, chirping, "That's good! You did great!"

"Nice job, bro." Touko smirked, although her eyes betrayed her nervousness. Burgh was calling up the next challenger.

Touko turned to Belle. "Did you want to go?" she asked the blonde, smiling softly. Belle finally noticed the uneasiness in her friend and frowned.

"Touko what's wrong?"

Touko fidgeted with her Pokemon, pursing her lips. Then, she smiled, biting back her uneasiness. "Just wondering which Pokemon I want to use. I can't seem to decide!"

Belle brightened up after that, standing up. "If that's the case, I can go first! That should be enough time for you to decide!" With that, she went over to the challenger's place on the field, turning to Burgh with a grin.

Burgh grinned back. "So you're next, hmm? Are you ready?"

When Belle nodded, the referee stepped forward to start the match anew. The Gym Leader chuckled. "I suppose I'll use this little guy!" A Dwebble emerged from the Poke ball he chose. It chittered and clicked its pincers together, waiting for Belle to release her Pokemon.

The teen tried to remember what Cheren had been babbling about the previous day. He was listing off all the weaknesses and strengths of Bug-type Pokemon while they rested to help prepare for the Gym battles today.

"Oh!" Belle held up her Poke balls, immediately finding the exact one she wanted to use. Porky's Poke ball stood out clearly from her other two with its flame insignia. She tossed it out, paying attention to its return and caught it without a mishap. She smiled triumphantly as her Tepig cried out, all fired up to begin the match.

Burgh raised his eyebrow at her choice of Pokemon. Sure, Fire-types did have an advantage over Bug-types, but Dwebble was not a pure Bug-Type.

Cheren seemed to have caught on immediately, swearing under his breath. "Tepig may be her strongest Pokemon right now, but it's at a disadvantage."

"Disadvantage?" Touko glanced over at Cheren, furrowing her eyebrows. "But Porky is a Fire-type. Shouldn't he have the advantage?" A memory sparked in her mind and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait…but Dwebble…"

Cheren gritted his teeth. "Yeah. Dwebble is also a Rock-type. She's lost her advantage and gained a disadvantage instead. Rock-types are strong against Fire-types."

Touko gasped. "We have to tell her!"

"We aren't allowed to offer outside assistance during a Gym battle."

The teens gazed at Belle, who looked just as fired up as her Pokemon.

The blonde pointed at the Dwebble. "Porky, let's do this! Ember!" The Tepig snorted in acknowledgement and planted his back feet. He shot tongues of flame forth from his snout, sending them straight towards his opponent.

The fire made contact with the Dwebble, causing it to grunt and skid back a few paces. It had its pincers shielding its head, so the damage was minimal. Burgh frowned slightly at the confused expression that swept across Belle's face.

"Eh? I thought the Ember would be more powerful than that…" Belle pouted. Had she remembered wrong?

Burgh watched Belle carefully as he issued his first order. "Dwebble, Smack Down."

The Pokemon dug its claws into the terrain and withdrew them in a swift motion, sending two large rocks rocketing towards Porky. The projectiles found their target with ease, sending the Tepig sprawling. Porky cried out in pain and collapsed, twitching from the impact.

"Porky?" Belle gasped, taking a hesitant step towards her Pokemon. Porky struggled back onto his feet, huffing in determination. He looked like he was ready to collapse again; his determination to continue was the only thing keeping him going. Belle looked more ready to surrender than her Pokemon did. As if sensing this, Porky oinked loudly, snorting flames.

Belle knew he was trying to say something to her. She really wished that she could understand him. At the least, she understood that Porky wanted to continue fighting. Putting on a brave face, she cheered on her Tepig. "Porky, let's try again then! Flame Charge!"

He suddenly shot off, his body exploding in flames. He gave a loud cry as he drew closer to his opponent, finally slamming into it with the full force of his Flame Charge.

The Dwebble did fly back this time, catching itself by digging its pincers into the ground. The little Gym Pokemon chittered in discontent, awaiting his next order. Burgh closed his eyes and sighed. "Dwebble, Rock Smash again."

Although Porky was able to dodge most of the rocks flying his way, a couple managed to hit him. The Tepig spun back and was not as quick to get up this time. He stayed down, desperately trying to pick himself back up. His eyes were scrunched closed and he gritted his teeth in determination.

Belle cried, "Porky! Are you ok?" She started fumbling with his Poke ball, intent on returning him.

Seeing her actions, Burgh asked, "Are you planning on returning your Pokemon? If so, then you will forfeit this match." Belle stopped short at this, his stoic words sending chills down her spine. Her fingers played clumsily with the Poke ball that she had enlarged. Her green eyes stared intently at the fallen Tepig.

Biting her lip, she held up the Poke ball. "I don't want you to get hurt anymore Porky. You did great already. It's enough for me!"

Porky looked aghast at her decision and renewed his efforts to get up. He stared desperately at her, willing for his voice to reach her. Belle was about to click the button to return him, exchanging gazes with Porky.

_Stop! I can still go on!_

Belle gasped, dropping the Poke ball. It hit the ground with a loud clink, breaking the silence that followed after the voice rang through her head. She looked at her Tepig, who seemed as confused as she was. As he opened his mouth again, his trainer jumped again in shock.

_I can do this! Watch me!_

Now Belle was sure. Porky had spoken to _her._ She had understood him! "P-Porky, you can talk to me?" she babbled, still not believing her ears quite exactly. Burgh perked up at her comment, studying the two intently.

Before the Tepig could answer her however, a sudden rush flooded through his body. His eyes widened as an uncontainable energy surged forth from his body in the form of golden flames. The fire wrapped around Porky before expanding outwards, disappearing in an explosive flash.

Where a Tepig once laid now stood a proud, bipedal Pokemon. His pudgy body was covered in a pattern resembling a wrestler's garb with golden swirls accentuating the front. His forearms were umber brown with a golden strip where the brown transitioned to orange. He swished his curly and puffy tail side to side as he flexed, grunting, "Pignite!" He snorted and flames flew out of both nostrils.

Belle could only stare at her evolved Pokemon, mouth ajar. Words could not form on her lips, all sound dying in her throat. Her eyes met Porky's again and once again, she heard a voice, only it was a bit deeper this time.

_Watch me._

The Pignite took a deep breath and went into a lunge position. He burst forward with a sudden Flame Charge, catching both Burgh and his Dwebble off guard, since neither one had quite recovered from the surprise of a challenger evolving right before their eyes. That was definitely not something they saw often during a Gym battle.

Dwebble held up his pincers to guard again. Porky smirked, bringing his arm back, palm facing forward. The Dwebble realized too late what its opponent had planned and was unable to dodge the solid Arm Thrust delivered to his head. With a cry, the Gym Pokemon flew back, tumbling rockily across the ground. Porky's flames extinguished and he took another deep breath, sagging slightly. His momentary burst of strength was fading again. The match would be determined by the next hit.

Burgh smiled for the first time. Now _he_ was the one at the disadvantage. Perhaps it was all accidental and his challenger was still unsure about her Pokemon's own abilities, but her Pokemon certainly trusted her. She would learn in time. They all do.

Neither trainer spoke as they watched their Pokemon charge again; Belle was simply still trying to process everything that happened and Burgh was fulfilling his duty as Gym Leader.

Flames met with rock as the Pokemon clashed, sending them sprawling to the ground. Neither got up again and the referee called a draw on the match.

Belle was at Porky's side immediately, holding him up tenderly, careful not to agitate any of his scrapes or bruises. The Pignite snorted, regaining consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, tiredly locking with Belle's again. She wanted to hear his voice again now that she knew it was him talking.

Porky blinked. "Pig, Pignite!" He extended an arm up towards her, which she happily took into her free hand. He started babbling more to her, but none of his speech registered as coherent phrases in her head. She picked up a few things, but they were nothing more than vibes. She let the disappointment show on her face and Porky's expression fell along with hers.

Sensing his unhappiness, she perked up and hugged him tightly. "You were amazing, Porky, even if you didn't win! Thank you so much! I'll take you out to eat lots of yummy food later, ok?"

Oinking excitedly, Porky clambered onto his feet. His wounds no longer looked like something to pitied, but something to be proud of. They were marks of his battle, a battle that he had, at least, ended in a draw.

"My goodness, that came out rather unexpectedly. That's quite the Tepig…excuse me, _Pignite_, you have there!" Burgh stood before Belle, smiling softly down at the trainer. His smile widened as he continued. "I will accept the draw as a defeat. You have won the Insect Badge."

Belle's mouth dropped open and immediately, she began to reject the Gym Leader's offer. He held up his hand, however.

"Allow me to explain. The battle may have ended in a draw, but I thought you showed just enough skill for me to reward you a badge. That being said, I must ask you something." His smile disappeared. "Were you aware that Dwebble was a dual Bug and Rock-type?"

Furrowing her eyebrows, Belle shook her head. Burgh sighed quietly. "Were you also aware that Rock-types are strong against Fire-types, while Fire-types are actually weak against Rock-types? When he evolved, he gained the advantage back with his Fighting-type move while my Dwebble's Rock-typing became his disadvantage."

Her face lit up in unhappy realization at what he said. "So…Porky was at a dis…advantage?" She looked at her Pignite with distress. "Oh, I'm sorry Porky! I had no idea!" She turned back to Burgh, vehemently saying, "I can't possibly accept your Gym badge like this!"

"Then take it with some advice." The two locked gazes. "The first thing any trainer should definitely do is learn about their Pokemon and their strengths and weaknesses. Pokemon battles are very dangerous and potentially fatal." Belle jumped at his statement, but Burgh smiled reassuringly at her. "That's why you must know your Pokemon's limits and learn to accommodate them. You're still new, I know. Girl, you only had one badge before coming here."

He ran a hand through his hair. "That being said, I noticed something during the battle. Do you actually like battling? Pokemon are bound to take hits while battling and some of those hits will cause a lot of damage. You're going to see your Pokemon hurt a lot more. Do you like training and battling?" He paused, allowing the question to sink into her. "Pokemon battle because they enjoy it and want to be become stronger. Trainers help them reach that goal. Both sides have to make sacrifices." He patted her on the shoulder. "Your Pokemon trust and respect you deeply. You deserve a badge because your Pokemon consider you a good trainer. Just think about it, mmkay?"

Belle could only nod before turning back to Porky. He grinned at her, evidently understanding the humans' exchange. His trainer found it in herself to smile and held up his Poke ball. "Thanks Porky. I love you!" The Pignite's grin widened as he glowed and disappeared into the capsule.

Burgh clapped, turning to the spectators. "I suppose that leaves only Little Lady now?"

Touko started, lips setting into a hard line. She stood up with a swift motion but descended slowly to the field. As she passed by Belle, she exchanged high fives with the girl, trying to smile.

With a Poke ball in his hand already, Burgh chuckled. "Are you ready?"

As soon as she nodded, the Gym Leader released his final Pokemon. A Leavanny emerged in a flash of light, gracefully bowing.

The dread that had been piling up inside Touko had reached unbearable levels. She only had two Pokemon on her, one of which had a heavy disadvantage against the Leavanny. The other also had a disadvantage, but at least one of her typings provided a slight advantage. While Touko had confidence her Pokemon might actually stand a chance at defeating the Leavanny, she was concerned about something else.

Having made her reluctant choice, Touko tossed out Joy's Poke ball, trying to get herself pumped for the battle. The Sewaddle immediately curled into herself, bashful around the new faces. This was the one problem Touko had noticed.

Joy was not particularly weak or uncoordinated, but she had a huge issue with facing people she had never seen before. She would become flustered and shy before unfamiliar faces. It took most of the trip between Nacrene and Castelia for her to get used to Cheren, Belle, Touya, and their Pokemon. She liked Touko, but the girl's eccentric behavior often scared her off and the trainer would spend a long time trying to coax the frightened Sewaddle from nearby trees.

Whenever the teens came across trainers and Touko took Joy out to battle, it would take her a couple hits to finally get serious. By then, the Sewaddle was fatigued and hurt and could no longer fight with her maximum strength.

That being said, Joy was a good battler nonetheless. She just had a major shy problem. Touko saw that her Sewaddle was already retreating from the Leavanny in front of her, her leaves wrapping around her head in embarrassment. Frowning, Touko got down onto her knees and called her Sewaddle over. Joy seemed more than happy to turn around and face her trainer instead.

"Ok Joy, I need you to be a little bit brave today, ok? This is a very important battle. I know you'll do great!" Touko practically choked out the last part. Joy sensed the insincerity of her statement and twittered nervously. Seeing this, Touko immediately babbled, "No no no! I know you'll be fine! Just…please don't be so shy around the Leavanny, ok? You need to fight him with all of your power! Please…" Aquamarine eyes desperately appraised the Sewaddle.

Joy gave a slight head nod and turned back around again, gazing at the Leavanny. Her opponent cocked his head to the side and smiled, waving one of his arms at her. Immediately, Joy ducked back into her leaves.

Touko watched in exasperation, keeping her voice in control. She had learned the hard way not to startle Joy. "Joy! Come on! I know you can do this! Don't be so shy, please!"

Burgh was laughing merrily at this point, completely amused by the Sewaddle's bashfulness. "My my, Little Lady, I certainly did not expect this." He cocked his head to the side, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Noticing the tease, Touko curled her lip and stood up. "Yeah, I am!" She looked back down at Joy, determination dampening her nerves. "What do you say Joy?"

The Sewaddle murmured uncertainly, lifting her leaves. The Leavanny said something in their language, to which Joy softly responded to. Her leaves started to spread apart more and she took a few timid steps back towards the center of the field.

The referee looked at the two trainers. Touko gave a nod to Burgh, who replicated it to the referee. With one final swipe of his flags, he began the last match.

Touko decided to start safe, in case Joy was not in battle mode yet. "Joy, use String Shot! Encircle him!"

As she had expected, there was a moment of hesitation before a wavering String Shot sped towards the Leavanny. It wrapped around the tall Pokemon, but one strong movement of his arms snapped the binding. Joy's String Shot fell to the ground in feeble clumps. Discouraged, Joy started hiding back in her leaves.

When Leavanny countered with a Razor Leaf, Touko remembered Joy's shyness was not her only problem. She was only the lowest evolution of her species while Leavanny was his final, which spoke volumes of the stark differences in their strength.

With a squeak, the Sewaddle tumbled back, parts of her leaf hood sliced off. There were holes where the Razor Leaf pierced it. Feeling the lack of a strong hood, Joy turned her head to appraise her leaves.

Her beady eyes widened and seemed to water. She whirled her head back around, screeching indignantly in her own language. Leavanny seemed taken aback by the Sewaddle's anger, confused as to how to proceed.

Burgh started to laugh again, making Touko burst out into a deep red blush. She crossed her arms. "Don't laugh! It's just the way she is!"

The Gym Leader was enjoying himself quite a bit. After all, the Sewaddle had just screamed at his Leavanny for damaging her leafy garbs. He had never seen any member of the Sewaddle evolution line get so touchy about their self-made clothes.

Any determination Touko had built up was quickly dissipating. Not only was her Sewaddle considerably weaker, she was now worked into a livid frenzy over her clothes. She yelped in alarm when her Sewaddle fired off her Razor Leaf without her instruction. The leaves hit the Leavanny, who winced. Joy did not seem satisfied with the reaction and chittered angrily, taking a menacing step forward.

She began to glow chartreuse, something Touko had never seen before. Burgh's eyes lit up in astonishment as Joy's tattered hood folded over her head, obscuring it completely. She curled into herself, eliciting concerned calls from her trainer. The glowing intensified before fading softly. The ragged leaf unwrapped, splitting across the middle and enveloping the Pokemon. Half-lidded eyes and a mouth set in a pout peeked out from the foliage.

Wonder filled Burgh's smile. "Gosh, this is quite unprecedented. Three evolutions in a series of four Gym Battles? Just phenomenal! Avant garde! Oh, my artistic soul is singing!"

Joy seemed impossibly grumpier than she did a moment ago, not that Touko minded at all. The girl could hardly contain her excitement and was leaping up and down in place.

"Joooooy! You evolved! Oh my goodness, you evolved! Yo-hey, what's wrong?" Joy had turned around, turning her pout on her trainer. Touko was suddenly flooded with worry that maybe her Sewaddle was upset with her evolution.

Burgh just began laughing again. "Girl, that's just how Swadloons look all the time. They're not as cranky as they look, don't you worry! Though, I think it's pretty cute how she evolved because she was angry."

Touko pursed her lips, staring at Joy. The Swadloon had whirled back around, turning uninterested eyes towards the Leavanny. Finding a smile coming back onto her face, Touko cheered, "Alright, who cares, right? Joy, ready to continue?" She saw her Pokemon rustle and took that as confirmation. After another moment, she called, "Joy, can you use the Chase Combo?"

With a cry, Joy shot another String Shot, but ran after it as it flew towards and winded around the Leavanny. The string was far stronger this time and the Leavanny was not able to escape before Joy's jaws clamped down onto his leg, furiously tearing into him with her Bug Bite.

Face hardening, Burgh called out, "Struggle bug!"

Joy was flung back by the sudden bursts of energy, tumbling and rolling back across the field. Gritting her teeth, Touko encouraged her Swadloon. "Joy, Razor Leaf!"

The Swadloon let loose a storm of leaf blades. They obscured the Leavanny's vision, but a simple Cut dealt with them. However, while he was preoccupied with swiping the leaves out of the way, a String Shot had wormed its way into his zone again, wrapping around his already injured leg. With a mighty yank, Joy pulled her opponent off his feet, sending him crashing to the ground.

Burgh called for another Struggle Bug, but Touko was having none of that. "Joy, Protect!" She grinned when the energy of Struggle Bug hit the blue sheen that suddenly enveloped the Swadloon. Touko had been eagerly awaiting her Pokemons' evolutions and had taken the liberty of researching common known moves they would learn. Protect was something all Swadloon immediately acquired upon evolution as a means to better defend themselves while they were in a transition phase between Sewaddle and Leavanny.

Joy landed on top of Leavanny and her trainer called out, "Bug Bite!" The Leavanny cried out in pain at the painful bite.

"Leavanny, strike it back with Cut! Follow up with String Shot and Struggle Bug! You know what to do!" Burgh smiled, certain confidence twinkling in his eyes.

Joy was easily batted back with the Cut, but the String Shot encircled it, tethering it in place. Leavanny planted his back foot and wrenched the string back, bringing the Swadloon into his waiting clutches. Just as he clamped his mandibles on Joy, Touko yelled, "Protect!"

At the last possible moment, a feeble blue sheen covered Joy once again, and the Leavanny's jaws met with the shield instead.

"Cut again! That barrier won't be up much longer!"

The shield disappeared and the Cut made contact. However, Joy had sneaked in a Razor Leaf the moment her Protect ended. Both she and the Leavanny flew apart in opposite directions. The Gym Pokemon was back on his feet quickly while Joy stayed down a little longer.

Touko knew that Joy was on her last bits of strength. Leavanny could probably still take a couple hits. Refusing to fall into despair, Touko addressed her Pokemon. "Come on Joy! Almost there! You're doing absolutely great!" She grinned at her Swadloon. "I couldn't be prouder!"

Her earnest words brought a spark of change to the Swadloon's bored expression. She seemed surprised, a small blush crossing her cheeks. Joy turned back to Leavanny, expression set into one of determination.

Burgh was smiling. Leavanny turned around, exchanging glances with the leader. The Gym Leader nodded and Leavanny charged forward, glowing with another Struggle Bug.

"Joy, counter with your Razor Leaf!" The leaves intercepted most of the power from the Struggle Bug, although residual energy hit the Swadloon.

"One more Bug Bite!" Touko clenched her fists, watching her Swadloon dash for the Leavanny. The Gym Pokemon made a move to dodge, but Joy attached another String Shot to him, ensuring that she would reach her target. With a mighty heave, she propelled herself into the Leavanny, tackling and biting simultaneously. The two went tumbling across the field, raising a dust cloud. Through the haze, the trainers saw the two Pokemon in an unmoving heap.

Joy stirred, rolling away from the Leavanny. She was unable to do much more but lay on the ground, but it was clear that she was still conscious.

The same could not be said of the Leavanny lying face-down beside her. Seconds ticked by without so much as a twitch from him, prompting the referee to call Touko's win.

Somehow, Joy had pulled through and won. Touko's head buzzed with excitement and she took off in a mad run to her Pokemon, nearly tripping down. She scooped down, picked up Joy, and began twirling her around, laughing heartily. The Swadloon squeaked in displeasure, which Touko ignored. She was far too thrilled with her narrow victory. However, when Joy closed her eyes, Touko stopped, suddenly remembering that her Pokemon was in pretty bad shape.

She looked up to see Burgh clapping and beaming at her. "Brava! Brava, Little Lady!"

Touko smirked. "I have a name. It's Touko. Touko Clearwater."

"Oohhh, but I prefer Little Lady." Burgh gave her his own sassy smirk. "Congratulations on defeating me! It was a close match! I honestly did not expect you to battle the way you did. You sure gave Michelangelo a hard time!"

"Michelangelo?" Touko glanced at the Leavanny, who was finally stirring.

Burgh walked over to him, offering a hand to his Pokemon and pulling him up. The two turned to smile at Touko. "That's my Leavanny's name. I don't usually use it in public. Michelangelo knows to respond to 'Leavanny' during battles."

Joy hid her face in Touko's chest upon seeing Michelangelo. The Leavanny frowned before motioning to Burgh. After listening to his Pokemon, the Gym Leader smiled and turned back to Touko. "Michelangelo would like to make it up to your Swadloon by making some new clothes for her."

That seemed to get Joy's attention. She peeked out from her leaves to Michelangelo. When she saw him smile, however, she jumped and quickly hid her face again.

Touko giggled. "Awww she's being shy again. I think she would appreciate it. Thanks Michelangelo. And thanks for the Gym Battle Burgh!" She grinned at the Gym Leader, who beamed back.

"You did a wonderful job. But I have a few comments to make to you as well." Burgh wagged his finger. "I would say that you need to consider your Pokemon's safety a bit more. Your techniques and strategies can work quite well in your favor, but remember not to be too reckless. Using String Shot as a means of travelling may be effective, but it leaves your Swadloon open to dangers and attacks. It also can create recoil damage, like that last fumble. But your Pokemon obviously trust you greatly and I can see you inspire them too. You're on your way to becoming a great trainer. Far better than the first impression I got of you, anyways." His teasing remark put a pout on Touko's face as she returned Joy to her Poke ball for a much deserved rest.

Burgh waved to the other teens to come to the field. When they all assembled, he called the referee over, who presented the teens with their new Insect Badges, as well as their usual cash prizes. "Well, there you have it! Congratulations again! Why don't I take you guys around the city, hmm? For sure you didn't get to see everything yet!" He ran a hand through his hair. "It'll be fun! What do you guys say?"

The girls agreed full-heartedly and managed to convince the boys to come along too. The teens headed back to the dressing rooms to change and retrieve their belongings. Cheren was about to follow, but remembered his question to Burgh.

"Excuse me, Burgh?" Cheren caught the Gym Leader's attention.

Burgh blinked in surprise. "Did you need to ask something?"

Cheren fingered one of his Poke balls before holding it up to Burgh. He glanced towards the door briefly to see if Touko was around. "Remember the Scolipede that poisoned Touko? This is it."

Burgh raised his eyebrows and gazed at the Poke ball. Cheren continued, "I wanted your advice about it. I had it healed by the nurse back in Nacrene, but I haven't taken it out yet. I'm…afraid of what Touko will say. Well, she saw me catch it, but I don't know if she knows that I still have it." He looked down at the Poke ball with a frown. "So I don't know its temperament, but I do know it was powerful. All three of my Pokemon needed to work together to take him down and even then, it was difficult for them. I want to keep it, but I want to know more about it."

After listening, Burgh sighed. He gestured for the Poke ball. Cheren handed it over and watched as Burgh motioned for him to step back. Michelangelo stood protectively in front of his trainer as the Scolipede was released.

As soon as it was out of the Poke ball, the giant Pokemon started hissing and spitting when it saw Cheren's face. The teen sheepishly wondered if the nurse had a difficult time subduing the creature in order to heal his wounds. A light scar sealed the wound that Sir Wotterlot had inflicted while protecting Touko.

Frowning, Burgh held up his arms, trying to calm the Pokemon. The Scolipede shook its head, hissing again. "It's ok. No one is going to hurt you. There's no need to be scared."

"You call that scared?" Cheren asked in disbelief. The Scolipede looked like it was ready to attack at any moment.

Burgh gestured to Cheren, asking, "What do you think of this human?"

More hissing followed and Michelangelo began to speak to Burgh, who listened intently. Finally he turned to Cheren, a frown on his face. "According to Michelangelo, he doesn't trust you. At all. He said some really grody things that you don't need to know." He made a face, making Cheren wonder just what the Scolipede had said. "You want my honest opinion? Release him. I don't think you'll be able to handle him as you are right now."

"But in time, will I?"

Cheren's question caused Burgh to narrow his eyes. "Perhaps, if you become strong enough worthy of this Scolipede's respect. I still don't think it's a wise idea though. I don't allow my Whirlipede to evolve because of how dangerous Scolipede can be, even when you train them."

The teen gazed at the Scolipede, meeting its eyes. The trainer and Pokemon refused to look away as they battled for intimidation. Cheren narrowed his eyes and the Scolipede spat, looking away.

Cheren turned back to Burgh, accepting his Poke ball back. The Pokemon became alarmed when it was summoned back into the Poke ball, disappearing with a hiss.

He turned to Burgh with his decision. "I think I'll keep him. With time, I should be able to tame him. Thank you for the warnings, though. I will be careful."

The Gym Leader eyed him. "You understand the potential consequences, don't you?" When Cheren nodded, Burgh sighed heavily. "Then allow me to repeat my earlier advice. Strength isn't everything. I know this firsthand. If you focus too much on strength, you will miss out on the other important things in life. Strength is but one part of achieving great power. Think on it, alright?"

Cheren nodded slowly. "Thank you, Burgh." He turned towards the locker rooms to change and was met with a bright flash. He yelped, seeing Touko with her cellphone pointed at him.

"Gotcha! I'm keeping this picture forever." She grinned devilishly, hitting the save key. Cheren realized, in despair, that he had not changed yet.

"Touko, delete it! That's embarrassing!" He reached for her phone, but she jumped back, sticking her tongue out and pocketing her phone back in her shorts. She hooked her elbow around Belle's arm, giggling.

"No way! It's awesome! Go change before I take more!"

Grumbling, Cheren made his way back to changing rooms. He brushed past Touya, not catching the cold look in the male twin's eyes.

He also did not notice Touko tighten her clutch on Belle's arm as he disappeared behind the door.

* * *

**A/N: Oh god, I laughed a little while I was writing the scene with the spare outfits. I could just see it in my mind. Poor Cheren. **

**I used a combination of Burgh's team from both BW and BW2 for this gym battle so that I can have four opponents and different movesets. It worked out better than I had expected!**

**That being said, I still really don't like writing Pokemon battles. But it has to be done. **_**How much do you guys actually like reading the battles, to be honest**_**_?_ I'm never doing individual battles for each person again. **

**I stopped making the Pokemon actually talk since it sounded really silly to me. I didn't take it out of the earlier chapters because it added humor in some areas, so I couldn't bear to actually edit it out. But from now on, I'm rarely going to actually have the Pokemon say their sounds out in a dialogue unless it had significance, like in this chapter. **

**I love having Burgh call Touko "Little Lady." I dunno why, hehe. I also had fun writing Joy. I'm trying to give the Pokemon personalities now. I know, I'm nuts. There's ultimately going to be 24 of them. This is going to be **_**great.**_** =_=**

**Also, anyone know what's up with this odd bug in Fanfiction that removes underlines and certain symbols? Like I try to type a heart and it doesn't work. o_o**

**Next update will hopefully come within a month! I'm preparing for anime cons again and I have finals in a week! But yes, the next update is coming. I promise you that! **

**Thank you again for reading and for your support! Until next time!  
**

**~Alexie**


	17. Ch 16: Love's Kinda Funny

**Happy New Year! Sorry for the long wait guys! I'm terrible about updating, as you've noticed by now, and I honestly can't say that I'll get better. I have more than half the story outline as of this chapter, and ohhhhh boyyyyyyy my story is a lot longer than I thought it would have been. I'm trying my hardest to finish though! I mean, I know exactly how it's going to end, so I just have to fill in all the bits in between. Granted, I've been changing little bits of the ending, but the general gist hasn't changed. I'm just blabbering now, so I'll start the story. **

**In case you guys don't remember, last chapter was the Gym Leader battle against Burgh of Castelia. Without further ado, onwards to this chapter! **

* * *

_Chapter 16: Love's a Little Funny Sometimes_

* * *

_October 20, 2010_

"You know, I'm almost _glad_ to leave Castelia today."

Touko nodded in agreement with Belle and chuckled uneasily. Belle dangled her wallet from her fingers, frowning at how considerably lighter it was compared to when they entered the city a week prior. Touko patted her own deflated wallet in her pocket and sighed.

Cheren cleared his throat, "I tried to stop you, but guys just seemed so excited when you knocked me over to get into that one shop."

"Cheren, we did _not_ knock you over. You're exaggerating." Touko turned around to face him and walked backwards as the group continued on to the pier. In response, he shot her an exasperated glare.

"Careful," Touya warned just as Touko tripped over a bolt on the ground. Both boys lunged for her at the same time and she grabbed frantically for them. Her momentum took the trio off balance and they crashed to the ground simultaneously. Touko landed on her bottom with small squeak as both boys sprawled onto their knees beside her.

Grinning sheepishly, Touko picked herself up and offered a hand to Cheren. "Sorry…"

"I say nothing," Cheren growled under his breath as he stood up. He brushed himself off as Touko pulled her twin to his feet.

Everyone seemed to be a little tense since the Gym Battle. Touko was more disgruntled around Cheren which made him more irritable with her. Touya still seemed annoyed with Cheren, which left Belle at a loss as to what to do to get her friends to get along. She had suggested going to the pier for lunch before they left the city. Burgh had happily prattled on about all of Castelia's best places (especially shopping) and she remembered a name of a popular café located near the beach. She got some funny looks from her friends, who questioned why she would want to go near a body of water willingly. Belle waved it off, trying to convince her friends that she was fine so long as they were behind a fence or something of the sort.

And maybe a few good feet behind that fence as well.

Belle dragged her friends along and tried to distract them with her good cheer. But the closer they got to the pier, the less bubbly she became. Even her friends noticed that she fell behind in step when they reached the street running parallel to the ocean. Touko hugged her friend's arm tightly, chirping, "Don't worry Belle! Look, there's the café Burgh told us about. It's not remotely near the water!" She pointed at the place and sure enough the sign hanging above the door displayed the café's name proudly for all to see.

Belle visibly relaxed as Touko dragged her over. The inside was busy and it took a short wait for the teens to get seated at a table. While they waited, they glanced around the shop. Many of the customers looked like office workers going out for lunch. Seems the group had caught themselves in the middle of the lunch rush. Three sides of the café was mostly window, giving the visitors a beautiful view of the beach. Still, the teens got lucky and were seated at a table near one of the windows, so they got an extra clear view of the Castelian Bay.

"The water's all sparkly in the daylight. I wonder what Pokemon live in the bay." Touko stared out of the window as she voiced her thoughts.

Pushing his glasses up, Cheren answered, "Schools of Alomomola tend to reside in the shallower areas, but they're all over. Further out you'll find Basculins too. They usually advise people not to venture too far out since they're known to be pretty dangerous to humans."

The teens nodded. They had seen enough documentaries about water Pokemon to know about Basculin and the damage they can cause to the victims of their attacks. Cheren continued, "They usually don't come near shore though. The Alomomola will actually gang up on Basculin if they start being hostile against their school."

"There are also swarms of Frillish and Jellicent that are seen sunbathing a little ways from shore. Sometimes the young Frillish come closer to shore, but it's hard to see them when it's really bright outside. They're rather difficult see since their bodies are made of translucent jelly. People tend to avoid them, however, given that they're half Ghost type. People who aren't seeking to capture Ghost Pokemon tend to avoid them since it's very easy to be haunted by one. And they're persistent and get annoying really fast. Jellicent are really protective of their young, so you don't want to mess with the wrong Frillish."

Touko perked up. She remembered what she had promised Professor Juniper. "Wait, the little candle-shaped Pokemon I was supposed to find…Lit…wick?" She stumbled over the name. "That's part Ghost type, right? Does that mean it'll be hard to handle?"

Cheren adjusted his glasses again. "Depends. Some are more docile than others. Although most Ghosts have a mischievous streak. They're not known to be particularly dangerous to their own trainers, but raising a Ghost is no easy feat."

Crossing her arms, Touko sat back with a resolute huff. She was definitely going to find that Litwick and raise it well. She cooked up a vision of herself with the most perfect Litwick that anyone has ever seen and saw all her friends clapping and cheering for her beside her. Her musings escalated to ridiculous levels before she was interrupted by the waitress who arrived with their orders.

"Here you are! Enjoy your meal and take you time!" She left and the teens began to eat, discussing their plans for the rest of the trip. Burgh had advised them to take a train from Castelia to Nimbasa since only dry desert stretched out between the two cities. While it was traversable, most trainers did not enjoy the sandy terrain that usually took about three weeks to get through. In contrast, the train only took three _days._ It was not terribly expensive either, so the teens decided to just go for the easy ride.

Once they paid, the teens left the café with full bellies and a considerably cheerier disposition. They allowed themselves a last look at the bay before they departed Castelia. It was then Touya noticed something.

"Look at the water near Dock 2," he said quietly, pointing in the direction of the dock. His friends followed his finger and Belle gasped.

"Frillish! Ohhhh they're cute, look at them!" She cooed, subconsciously drawing closer towards the dock. She seemed to forget about her fear of water and continued going towards the bobbing pink and blue jellies.

Touko chased after her, both out of curiosity and out of worry. "Don't get too close Belle! Remember what Cheren said!"

Her loud voice seemed to draw the attention of the Frillish and knocked Belle out of her excitement. The blonde noticed that she was halfway down the dock and squeaked slightly. She trembled a little before Touko got to her. She clung to the brunette's arm like a lifeline and allowed her best friend to drag her back to solid ground.

Cheren sighed and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Maybe we should get going. It will take a while to get to the north end of the city. We still have to walk all the way to the outskirts to get to the train station."

"Woo! More adventure! Let's go!" Touko cheered, twirling with Belle. The blonde laughed, feeling the fear sink away and turned her back to the bay.

A curious pair of red eyes watched the quartet walk away.

* * *

The outside of Castelia was filled with the hammering of machinery and sandstorms of sawdust. Many Drilburs, Timburrs and Watchogs were busy working on the construction projects to expand Castelia into the desert. The teens watched in interest for a bit before continuing on. The noise got too loud for their ears to handle. Unfortunately, the construction seemed to stretch on for quite a bit.

"How far away is the station?" Touko yelled over the noise.

"30 minutes by feet," Cheren replied just as loudly.

They managed to get past most of the construction before pausing to drink some water. The sawdust dried them out really quickly. Belle uncovered her ears and pouted when she still felt them ringing. "I'm glad we got past that!" she said loudly, still trying to adjust back to normal sound levels.

Touya nodded in agreement, sighing quietly and just letting the ringing die down. Cheren was studying the working Pokemon again with a small frown. Now that he got a better look, the Pokemon seemed quite exhausted.

"Those Pokemon don't look very happy." Touko voiced his thoughts. Her thoughts briefly flashed to a certain green-haired man, but she shoved them away with a grimace.

Belle blinked, taking notice of the workers too. "Oh, those poor babies. They must be tired! I wonder when they get a break?" she fretted.

Cheren shrugged, turning back around to face the road again. "I don't know. I'm sure Castelia has regulations to ensure they're not mistreated though. Construction Pokemon are usually captured from the wild by construction agencies, but they receive food and water in return for their serves. It's like Pokemon training, but they do construction instead." He started walking forward. "We should get going. We should be a little less than halfway there."

Touko thought it sounded pretty sad. Thoughts of N crowded her mind again and she sniffed in distain. She did not want to have to think about that man. Suddenly, Belle cried, "That Timburr!"

Said Pokemon was slumped under a tree, panting slightly. Touko commented, "It's pretty far from the construction. Is it on break?" After taking a generous swig of water from the canteen hanging from its neck, the Timburr held its stomach and licked its parched lips.

"Looks like it's hungry," Touya commented. This prompted Belle to start digging through her bag. She unearthed a pastry she had bought from the café for the road. She started to go towards the Pokemon to offer it the treat when she tripped and sprawled out on the dirt road.

Her friends crowded around her, various degrees of concern and exasperation on their faces. Touko laughed, "Here, I'll give it the food."

"Yeah, before Belle end up feeding him nothing more than a bag of dirt," Cheren joked.

The brunette smacked him lightly on the arm for the quip before picking up the fallen bag and walking quietly over to the Timburr. The Pokemon looked up with inquiring and tired eyes. He hastily got to his feet, puffing his chest out. He seemed like he had set his guard up, so Touko approached cautiously.

"Heeeyy buddy. Are you hungry?" The Timburr's eyes lit up and Touko took that as a yes. "Want this pastry? We got it from the best café in Castelia. No use working on an empty stomach, right? I know I can't think of anything but food when I'm hungry!" She laughed, offering the bag out to the Pokemon.

The Timburr blinked, eyes furrowing in suspicion. It slowly took the bag. Touko laughed again at his expression once he saw the pastry and continued to laugh as he gobbled it down in a few moments. She straightened back up and waved. "Well then. Enjoy!" She ran back to her friends and the quartet started heading towards their destination again.

With a satisfied huff, the Timburr polished off the last morsels and glanced up to thank his benefactor. However, she was gone, so he glanced down the road and saw her bobbing away with her friends. He looked around quickly before dashing towards a small patch of little wild daisies growing in the grass outside the construction area. He plucked one and dashed after the teens.

He outran their leisurely walk and stopped short in front of Touko. Surprised, she bent down a little to address the Timburr. "Hi again?" she said.

The Timburr grunted and handed her the little daisy with a toothy smile. Touko gasped and started to laugh. "Aw! Thanks!" She took the daisy with a grin. "That's sweet of you. I take it you liked the pastry?"

He nodded, still grinning. Touko stood back up, tucking the daisy behind her ear. "Well, I'll take good care of it. Thanks! Good luck with your work!" She grinned and started to walk away.

The Timburr watched her leave and drooped slightly. He grunted to himself before turning back towards the construction area. He looked back at the retreating backs of the teens and grunted again, watching the stem of the daisy bounce with each step Touko took.

* * *

"Whhhhhhhaaaa? We just missed the train?" Touko cried in disbelief.

Cheren exhaled in irritation. "Yes. We did. Maybe if you didn't play around with that Timburr, then we w-"

"Yes, blame it on the sweetie. Don't get jealous that that Timburr knew how to impress a girl better than you do." Touko rolled her eyes.

Jamming his hands into his pocket, Cheren grinded his teeth. "Well, we have to wait an hour now. Happy?" He stormed over to a bench furthest from the group and plopped down.

Belle frowned at her sulking friend and turned to Touko with pleading eyes. "Come on, I'm sure Cheren didn't mean anything bad by that."

Touko just huffed and sat down on the closest bench. "I don't care."

She knew Cheren still had the Scolipede. The Scolipede that had nearly killed her. The Scolipede that he might not be able to control. He was hiding it from her. Maybe he assumed she knew about it, but he did not bring it out even once in their company since the incident. She thought he should have at least told her that he had decided to keep the beast.

With a sigh of resignation, Belle turned to Touya instead. She knew there was still something going on between the boys, but she could maybe at least keep one person in a good mood. "Why don't we let our Pokemon out to rest? I'm sure they don't like being kept inside their Poke balls for so long." She smiled, hoping that Touya would at least return the gesture. She let out her Pokemon, chirping a happy greeting when Porky ran up to hug her. He had gotten much bigger since he evolved into a Pignite and seemed more attached to Belle than before. Lia bounded up and licked Belle's outstretched hand. Helen hummed and bobbed around in the air contentedly.

She was not disappointed when Touya cracked a small smile. "Sure," he replied, pulling out four Poke balls. He released all his Pokemon. Zula looked around to see if there were enemies before setting down to polish her scalchops. Oz whinnied and trotted around to stretch his legs. Riley was running around everyone in circles, as usual, and ended up starting a game of tag with Lia. Musharna started to nuzzle against Touya again, crooning happily. That made him smile a little, even if the Psychic Pokemon still had a huge warning sign on her.

Touya's mind filled with the images of a lot of Munna floating around before it disappeared a few seconds later. He blinked in surprise and looked at Musharna, who was still crooning. A stuffy feeling ached at the back of his head and he reached for it tentatively. The uncomfortable ache came back a moment later when he saw another flash of Munnas. This time, he could tell they were inside a lab, judging by all the computers, flasks, and other glass containers in the background.

"I think Musharna is sending me images through telepathy," Touya said, a tinge of surprise in his voice. This got Cheren interested, especially when Touya started to rub at the back of his head again.

"What's she showing you?" Touko asked, interest in her voice.

"I think they're memories of her time in the lab. There's a lot of Munna together inside a lab."

Cheren eyed Touya's hand that was massaging his head. "Does it hurt? The back of your head?"

Blinking in surprise, Touya turned to acknowledge the other boy. "It feels stuffy here." He rubbed the spot again.

With a nod, Cheren explained, "Non-psychics aren't meant to receive telepathic thoughts. As such, the brain responds in discomfort. You're feeling the effects of that, which makes it more likely that you did indeed share Musharna's thoughts."

Musharna crooned, eyes opening. She nodded slowly to show her understanding and nuzzled against Touya again, sending images of the Munna again. Touya was slowly getting used to the stuffiness and allowed his Pokemon to keep her telepathic communications going.

Cheren furrowed his eyebrows. "It's a little strange that Musharna hasn't tried speaking to you. All Pokemon that possess the Psychic typing can be trained to communicate telepathically in speech. As a lab Pokemon, I'm sure she must have learned human speech at some point. She seems like a really old Pokemon too, so she should definitely be able to speak just fine."

Touya shrugged, gently pushing away the Musharna. The Pokemon chirped, floating around to look at everyone. She came to a stop in front of Touko, staring at the girl in confusion. Touko returned her stare, aquamarine eyes locked on the Pokemon's ruby ones, not quite sure what to do. Slowly, she reached up and petted Musharna's nose. The Pokemon crooned and nuzzled up against Touko's hand. A jab of stuffiness hit the back of her head as she saw the Munnas. Touko retracted her hand suddenly in surprise, feeling the back of her head.

"Woah. That was kinda weird," she commented, standing up and walking over to Touya.

He nodded to his twin and Musharna floating over to the siblings, making happy noises. Without warning, her eyes glowed and both twins gasped. The image of their father, in a lab coat, came into their minds. He was smiling, reading glasses atop his nose, as he scribbled something down onto sheets of paper on a clipboard. He reached forward and his arm moved side to side, hand out of view. The twins realized that he was petting the Musharna and that they were watching her memories from her point of view.

The image transformed into another memory. A young boy who looked similar to Touya stood next to an older man they had never seen before. The man, however, resembled an older version of Touya. The boy was laughing, reaching forward. His mouth opened and it seemed like he was talking, but no sounds came out of it. The man smiled and said something to the boy, but like before, no sound could be heard. The boy nodded and ran off. Musharna's line of vision followed after him and the twins saw the name printed onto the back of his sports jersey. "Clearwater."

Again, the memory shifted, this time to a scene outdoors. The older man was standing next to a green-haired youth. The twins gasped simultaneously when they came to the realization that the youth was Ghetsis Harmonia. He was definitely much younger, but he was undoubtedly Ghetsis. The older man and Ghetsis were speaking, both clearly interested in their conversation.

The vision ended abruptly and was replaced with another. The older man was in a frenzy, feeding a pink mist forward. He was bloodied, bruised, and shaking. They could feel Musharna's distress and heard her high pitch squealing, the first sounds they heard from the memories. A sharp pain erupted in the back of their heads, pulling the twin partially back into reality. They realized that Musharna's screams did not come from the memory, but from the actual Pokemon in real life. The pain escalated as the vision of the man continued.

Suddenly, everything went black. The twins could not feel their bodies as their minds wandered through the remnants of the fading visions. Musharna's screams ceased a while before Touko felt someone shaking her. Feeling returned to her limbs and she felt the sensation of gravel pressing against the bare skin of her legs. Her eyes opened slowly as she looked up into Cheren's frantic face. He breathed a sigh of relief and said something, although Touko was not able to process his words, which put a concerned expression back onto his face. The back of her head was absolutely stinging and she winced at the realization.

"My head…" she moaned weakly, closing her eyes again and curling into Cheren.

Next to her, Touya had just been shaken awake by Belle, and was fairing no better. He could not get the image of the men resembling him out of his head. He was almost certain that the little boy was their father in his youth. But who was the older man? He knew for a fact that their father had no photos from before his marriage, so he could not confirm his suspicions.

However, all the thinking only made his head hurt more. He tried to pry open his eyes after realizing they had closed shut again. Belle looked ready to cry and Touya tried to mumble something reassuring to her.

He blinked, eyes adjusting to a pink blob behind her. He looked past Belle to see the crumpled form of his Musharna. Anger flared as Touya forced himself to sit up.

"What happened?" he demanded, grimacing at the stab of pain. Musharna's head was swollen and bleeding on one side and Cheren's Purrloin was licking her bloody claws gleefully.

"I knocked Musharna out. She went berserk, so I put her down," Cheren said coldly, crossing his arms. "She's too dangerous, Touya. You know what she did." He was still holding tightly onto a dazed Touko.

"You're one to talk," Touya spat back, fury in his voice. He barely stopped himself from mentioning the Scolipede, but it was clear that Cheren got the idea.

The female twin gripped at Cheren's arm. "M-Musharna was having a bad vision. There was a man, and he was bleeding and really scared. Musharna was scared too."

Touya rubbed his head. "I don't know who the older man is, but I think the younger boy was Dad. The boy looked just like Dad. The older man was probably related to him too since they looked so much alike."

"Ghetsis was in there too…who was that other man? He knew Ghetsis and Daddy when they were younger. You look just like the two of them." Touko mumbled in confusion.

The twin's confusion was nothing compared to that of their friends. Belle held her hands up, exclaiming, "Wait, wait. _Hold_ up. W-what did you see?"

Touko winced, leaning forward against her knees. "Shit, that seriously hurt." After a moment, she began to recount the memories: their father petting Musharna, their father when he was a teen with the older man, Ghetsis speaking with that man, and finally the terrifying last memory of the older man, beaten and bruised. Cheren and Belle sat in silence after Touko stopped talking.

Touya was slowly regaining his mask, but could not help the irritation that still boiled inside of him. He got up unsteadily and marched over to Musharna. He dropped to one knee beside his Pokemon and took out a potion before setting to work tending her wounds, fighting off the last of his headache. The group fell into heavy silence once again.

The silence was interrupted by the crunching of gravel behind them. The teens turned to see a Timburr standing a few feet away from them, unsure about whether to approach the group or not. It decided on the former and made a beeline for Touko, grunting to her.

"You're the same Timburr from earlier," Touko realized. The Pokemon nodded and patted his head with another grunt.

Touko was not quite sure what he was trying to say and did not really care to figure it out at the moment. She whined softly when her head spiked in pain again. The Timburr grunted in concern and Touko smiled, understanding at last. "I'm ok. Just gimme a moment."

The Pokemon seemed unconvinced and opened a pouch on his toolbelt and pulled out a small roll of bandages. He handed it to Touko and grunted again. The girl smiled in response and shook her head. That proved to be a bad idea when her head throbbed in protest. She grimaced, waving her head to decline the offer of bandages. "It's fine. Bandages won't help. Thank you though. You're really sweet." She offered him a pained smile and he grunted again.

Belle whispered under her breath, "Wow, that Timburr has really taken to Touko. But is it ok for him to be away from the construction area like this? Wouldn't he get in trouble?"

Touko's eyes lit up in concern, "Yeah, wouldn't you get in trouble? What are you doing way out here? This is really far from the construction site!"

In response, the Timburr snorted and looked away, crossing his arms.

Cheren rolled his eyes. "Figures he's a rebel." The Timburr shot him a glare, one Cheren readily returned. Their stare-down would have continued if the Pokemon had not suddenly snapped his head back, eyes narrowing in suspicion. He shivered and grunted, moving to stand in front of Touko protectively.

An eerie giggle came out of nowhere and Porky yelped. A blur of pink flashed around him before it slowed down with a graceful twirl. The blur stabilized and took on the form of a female Frillish. She giggled again before floating over to the Timburr, who stood his ground defiantly. A small, innocent smile pulled at the corners of her mouth before the Frillish flew off again.

"W-Why is there a Frillish here?" Belle asked nervously, watching as Oz whinnied uncomfortably by their sudden guest, who had decided to appraise him next.

Cheren sighed in irritation. "It might have been lured here by us when we saw that school of them earlier. I most certainly hope there isn't a Jellicent here as well."

He watched the Frillish float around the Pokemon. She kept giggling and playing with them, sending unwelcome shivers down their backs. With a happy squeal, the Frillish stopped short in front of Belle, hovering eye to eye with the girl. Belle shivered involuntarily and a flash of the pier crossed her mind. At that moment, the Frillish squealed joyfully again and circled gleefully around Belle. Slowly, Belle smiled. "She's really cute, actually."

Cheren, who had been warily glancing around for any sign of a parent Jellicent, sighed, "She must have been attracted to something in one of us. Ghost types love feasting on fear and anger. Frillish aren't known to leave their school so willingly."

The Frillish continued to bob around Belle for a little longer before flying back over to Porky. He seemed uneasy with her prescence, grunting out hesitant responses to the Frillish's constant peal of squeals. She stuck to him, not paying attention to the other Pokemon anymore.

"Awww it looks like she likes him!" Belle chirped, clasping her hands together. "That's so cute!"

Touya had already recalled his Musharna and set about recalling his other Pokemon since the Frillish had spooked them. Riley was still running around, proving to be difficult to recall. Even on the road when Touya tried to train the Roggenrola, the little guy rarely listened to his commands and seemed to never run out of energy. He was definitely difficult to handle.

Well, it seemed like Riley was not terribly bothered by the Frillish, so Touya let his Pokemon run free longer. He turned to watch the Frillish circling Porky. The Pignite seemed immensely tense around the Frillish, ears lying flat against his head. The Frillish released a peal of giggles and suddenly gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, did you guys see that?" Belle squealed excitedly. "That was way too cute!"

Her excitement was short-lived as the Frillish suddenly ascended higher up into the air and flew away from the station and towards some of the nearby sand dunes. Porky was tittering on his feet after the kiss, but broke off into a sudden run after her. It took the teens a few seconds to register what was happening.

Belle called out, "Wait, Porky, where are you going?" When Porky ignored her, she cried out, "Wait up! Porky! Wait!" She started off in a dash after them, almost falling when she tripped over a rock in the road. "Wait!"

"Belle! Just recall him!" Cheren shouted. Belle immediately dug through her bag for Porky's Poke ball. By the time she had unearthed it though, he was already out of sight.

"Oh no…" she whined, shoulders slumping. "Where were they going?" Lia and Helen had come up beside their trainer by this point, both glancing worriedly in the direction that Porky had disappeared off to.

Touko had recovered enough to get back onto her feet and she ran up next to her friend. "The same place we're going. Come on, let's go after them!" Belle nodded and the two girls dashed forward, Belle's two Pokemon right at their heels.

Touya followed right after them, finally managing to recall Riley. Cheren adjusted his glasses and ran after his three friends, mumbling angrily under his breath. Even the Timburr had elected to follow them and he ran after the humans.

The ground became more unstable as they ran. The sand became thicker and it was difficult to walk, let alone run, through parts of it.

"Porky!" Belle cupped her hands along the sides of her mouth and yelled. Touko mirrored her actions. No response came, so the two girls continued on. Lia barked out for her friend while Helen flew through the surrounding area to see if she could catch a glimpse of the Pignite. The Timburr had caught up with Touko, although he was also having difficulty walking through the desert sand.

Knowing this was getting nowhere, Cheren released Henry. "Belle's Pignite ran off somewhere with a Frillish. Search from the skies and report back if you find him." The Tranquill cried out in acknowledge and soared off.

Belle and Touko's cries caught the boy's attention and they trudged across the sand towards where they heard their voices. The girls were nowhere in sight. The small sandstorm that had whipped up did not help matters at all.

"Touko! Belle! Are you alright?" Cheren called. Suddenly, the sand under him gave way and he yelped in surprise as he tumbled down a dune. Touya saw his friend disappear down the slope and stopped before it claimed him too. He started to move forward carefully again and got to a safe enough spot to peer over the edge. He saw the other three and their Pokemon crumbled in a heap at the bottom of a pit, moaning as they picked themselves up.

"Perfect," Cheren growled, struggling to right himself in the sand that seemed intent on swallowing him.

"How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?" Touko moaned, peering up to where Touya was. "Touya! Can you do something from up there?"

Touya pondered the situation for a while. They might be able to climb their way out if they got lucky and the sands did not slip out from under them again. That seemed unlikely, so they had to get creative. The only person with a flying Pokemon was Cheren, and Henry was a mere two feet in height. He probably would not be able to lift any of them and fly them out of the dune. Everyone else only had small Pokemon. Musharna might be able to lift them up using Psychic, but after today's episode, he did not trust her to be stable long enough to get everyone to safety.

He was still thinking of ideas when the sand beneath him began to rumble. Touya took a few rapid steps back from the edge to avoid getting caught by the trap.

"What are those?" Belle's voice rose up from the pit. Touya ran back over and saw his friends surrounded by many round, red Pokemon.

"It seems we have wandered into the nest of a tribe of Darumaka," Cheren said quietly, swallowing thickly. "Don't make sudden movements. Don't talk loudly. Darumaka's are blazing hot and unable to fully control their fire power." His warnings were curt and sharp, conveying just how potentially dangerous things would get.

One of the Darumaka stepped forward, chittering words the teens did not understand. Helen hovered behind Belle, mewing in uncertainty. Timburr had his jaw set in a tight line and said nothing. It was Lia who stepped forward and began to bark. At first Belle was going to ask her to stop, but when the Darumaka replied, she realized the two were conversing.

However, the Darumaka was incensed by whatever reply Lia gave and he replied in a biting tone. Lia seemed to be pleading this time and even the Timburr seemed to perk up. He grunted something that made the Darumaka pause for a moment. The conversation resumed for a moment, but the Darumaka was getting increasingly louder. Lia barked something that made him pause again. But whatever the Darumaka said next made Lia, Helen, and the Timburr all tense up.

One of the Darumaka shot forward and nearly hit Cheren. He hissed and dodged another that went his way. Touko was barely dodging her own attackers and hit the ground to avoid one aimed straight at her head. The Timburr grunted and punched one out of the way when it got too close.

Belle screamed when a Darumaka brushed her arm. She fell into the sand and started to hiss in pain. "Ow, ow, ow…" she whined clutching the burn on her arm. Lia and Helen crowded around her, trying to fend off the Darumaka.

Touya's stomach leapt to his mouth and he immediately pulled out a Poke ball in his haste. He tossed it, expecting his Dewott to emerge. Instead of Zula, however, Riley appeared in a shower of light. He seemed alarmed by the chaos and started to run around as usual. Touya was about to recall him when Riley suddenly tackled a Darumaka who was in his way. In his panic, the little guy was just attacking whatever got in his way.

And it just so happened that Fire types were weak against Rock types.

Remembering the moves he saw from his Pokedex, Touya called out, "Riley, use Rock Blast!"

By some miracle, the little Roggenrola heeded his command. The sand around his body lit up and floated in the air, condensing into round rocks. The light dissipated around the rocks and they were sent hurling at a Darumaka. The Darumaka yelped in pain from the onslaught. Riley did another round of Rock Blast, catching a lucky shot at the Darumaka's temple. It fainted onto the ground.

"Keep at it!" Touya encouraged. He considered throwing out Zula as well, but wondered if that would add to the chaos. He had to think of a way to get his friends out before they got hit.

Cheren had been too busy dodging to even think about calling out one of his Pokemon. Touko had her hands full as well and was unable to reach Sir Wotterlot's Poke ball. The Timburr was helping tremendously with his strength, punching and kicking Darumaka into submission. But four Pokemon were simply no match for all of the Darumaka and the exhaustion was showing. Eventually, though, the Darumaka focused all of their attention on the Pokemon instead of their trainers.

With a roar, the Timburr rushed forward and tried to punch one of the Darumaka. Unfortunately, he completely missed and continued barreling towards the side of the pit. Suddenly, his fists glowed just as it slammed into the wall of sand. A white ripple shot outwards from the point of impact. The sand along that wall hardened and burst outward in large chunks of rock, raining down upon the unlucky Darumaka nearby. They screeched, trying to get out of the way. Shocked, the Timburr glanced at the wall in confusion before trying to will the power forth again.

"Rock Slide!" Cheren called out, recognizing the technique immediately. "Move as far away from that wall as possible." His warning came just in time, for the Timburr decided to unleash another Rock Slide on the Darumaka. This time, the attack did the trick and the head Darumaka shrieked loudly. The rest of the tribe suddenly burrowed back into the sand from where they came out of, disappearing from sight completely. The teens warily stood their ground, listening carefully past their heavy breathing. When a minute passed and it seemed like the tribe was not going to return, the teens breathed out a collective sigh of relief and gathered their bearings.

"That is why w-we are taking the train," Touko tried to joke, catching her breath. She got shakily to her feet, dusting herself off before helping Belle up. The blonde had released her hold on her burn, which was not as bad as they originally thought. It had seared white, but was not bleeding.

Belle waved off her concerned friend and shook out her arm gently. "That was too close for comfort." Suddenly remembering her starter, Belle whined, "Oh no, we definitely lost track of Porky now!"

"But I think I found our way out," Cheren said, pointing at the rocks scattered all over the pit. "Let's stack these up and climb our way out. Maybe Timburr can just do another Rock Slide for us."

It took a while longer, but the plan to stack all the rocks worked out and the teens climbed their way out of the pit. As soon as they escaped, Henry arrived back to the group. Cheren held his arm out as a perch for his Tranquill. The bird jerked his head in a direction and cooed, ruffling his feathers.

"Looks like Henry found them. Good job." Henry nodded and took back to the skies, leading the teens onwards. They traipsed through the sandy desert for a while longer before sounds of the Frillish floated through the air.

The two Pokemon finally came into view. The Frillish was holding Porky's hands in her tentacles, dancing around with him. When the teens got closer, she snapped her attention away from Porky and towards them instead. She frowned and released Porky, flying towards Belle. The girl started and stepped back away from the Frillish. Belle peered around her and shouted, "Porky! Come back over here!"

Porky just stood dazed on the spot, swaying slightly from side to side. He was gazing longingly at the Frillish with a lazy smile.

Cheren coughed. "Belle, you should return Porky. He's under the effects of Attract. Returning him should cancel it."

The Frillish was not happy about the sudden decision and hissed. Shocked, Belle took another step back. Lia barked and leapt at the Frillish but phased right through the ghost. She tumbled through the sand with a disgruntled yip.

Not taking kindly to the attack, the Frillish bristled and fired off a black wave. It did little more than send violent shivers through everyone there. Belle cried out, "Wait, stop!" Of course, the Frillish showed no intention of doing so. She readied herself to fire off another wave.

Helen crooned unhappily, a little hurt by the attack. She floating up to Belle and mewed resolutely. Her trainer blinked before nodding. "H-Helen, use Psybeam!"

The Munna obliged, shooting a blast of psychic energy right at the Frillish. The ghost shrieked, fluttered helplessly to the ground. She whimpered as she landed, trying to get back up.

Cheren closed his eyes and adjusted his glasses. "Looks like she's a lot weaker than she appeared. No doubt that Frillish is still a baby."

Belle knelt down next to the Frillish, who hissed and released another wave of black energy. Belle winced as the shiver shot through her whole body, but she addressed the fallen Pokemon with kindness. "Do you want to join me? It'll be lots of fun and you can hang out with Porky more too! I can tell you really like him. You're really far from your parents, aren't you?"

The Frillish's bravado deflated and she whimpered again. Belle took out an empty ball and held it up. "Would you like to come with me?" She watched the Frillish's reaction and finally got a trill of approval. With a bright grin, Belle chirped, "Welcome to the family!" She tapped the Poke ball gently against the Frillish and watched her get zapped in. A few small shakes later, the ball pinged to announce a successful capture.

She stood up triumphantly and cradled the Poke ball in her arms. "Yay! She came with me! Oh my goodness, now she and Porky can be together forever and maybe even make cute little Pokemon babies!"

Cheren sighed. "Hate to break it to you, but Frillish and Pignites are probably not in the same egg group. They wouldn't be able to reproduce. And Porky was just under the influence of Attract. He might not actually like the Frillish."

"Waahhh?" Belle cried in disbelief. "But they were so cute!"

"Belle, it's ok!" Touko reassured. "Who knows? Maybe they will end up together, babies or not!" She rolled her eyes at Cheren and patted her friend's shoulder. "Why don't you name her now?"

"Ummmm…" Belle tapped her chin, scrunching her eyes in hard thought. "I like…Selena! Selena and Porky! Oh, that sounds perfect."

Cheren rolled his eyes. Such a refined name with such a childish one. Belle certainly had interesting ideas of what perfect naming conventions were.

Touko checked her Xtransceiver and groaned. "Ah! We just missed the train again!"

"That's ok! It just means we can take our time walking back!" Belle chirped. "The important part is that we and our Pokemon are safe now!"

Touko nodded enthusiastically, remembering a new friend that she had to thank. Bending down, she smiled at the exhausted Timburr. "Thank you so much for saving all of us! You were a great helped. We'd be barbecue by now if it weren't for you!"

The Timburr flashed a grin at Touko and bowed his head slightly. Touko thought he seemed a little like a prince when he did that. The thought made her smile more.

In half an hour, the group finally made it back to the train station. They all sat down to take a much needed break. The Timburr had followed them all back and stayed with them the entire time. When the train finally showed up, Touko was pretty sad to say goodbye to him. She even gave him a hug before boarding.

The Timburr had a very disappointed expression on his face as he watched the teens disappear on the train. The doors closed and the whistle blew. The train slowly pulled away from the station and the Timburr turned towards the direction of Castelia again. Each car was passing him faster and faster now and smoke was pouring from the smokestack. He made a very impromptu decision and grabbed the railing on the caboose and jumped onto the train. He sat down and leaned against the wall of the car, watching as Castelia became a speck in the distance.

Well then, he was going to need to get a new wooden beam.

* * *

**So sometimes you'll see that Cheren gives a Pokemon a gender, and then I'll switch from using "it" to "him" or "her." This is because Cheren is good at telling Pokemon's genders apart, so I stop using the gender-neutral pronoun once I have him introduce the gender. **

**I don't really have much else to say. I'm excited since in about 5-7 chapters time, the story is going to take a huge turn from the original plotline of the games. So I'm looking forward to that. But first I gotta actually write more…hrngh…I'm very bad at this keeping up with my writing thing.**

**Thank you to all my reviewers and readers! I'll get around to replying to all of your reviews soon! I really appreciate you all taking time to write out a few comments about the story. Any reviews, positive or negative, are welcome. Love you all! Happy New Year!**

**~Alexie**


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